Hugh Freeze announces dismissal of Auburn RB Damari Alston
By Derek Hryn
Published:
Auburn senior running back and team captain Damari Alston is no longer with the Tigers, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Monday.
“Damari failed to meet the expectations and standards of our program, and we love him. Wish him the best. But that’s where it’s at,” Freeze told reporters.
Alston, a four-star recruit out of Woodward Academy in Georgia, has appeared in just 4 games this season — the maximum allowed while preserving his redshirt — rushing 32 times for 128 yards and a touchdown. Most of that production came in Auburn’s opener at Baylor, where he carried 16 times for 84 yards and scored his lone touchdown of the year. In SEC play against Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Georgia, Alston totaled just 16 carries for 44 yards.
With Alston gone, Auburn’s backfield will now run primarily through Jeremiah Cobb, who has taken on the bulk of the carries this season. Cobb has 70 rushes for 453 yards and four touchdowns. UConn transfer Durell Robinson remains sidelined with no clear timetable following emergency quad surgery.
Freeze repeatedly praised Alston’s leadership and work ethic over the years. On Monday, though, Freeze noted that while Alston is a talented player, he simply didn’t meet the standards expected of the program.
