Meet the New Tigers: 4* RB Damari Alston
The vocal leader of the class hoping to continue the RB legacy
Just 87 days away from Auburn’s first game of the season! Today’s segment is on Damari Alston who has been Auburn’s vocal leader in the 2022 recruiting class. Coming from Woodward Academy in Atlanta, GA he is one of the better pickups in this class. What does his skillset look like? What kind of impact will he have? Read below to find out!
4* Running Back | Damari Alston | 5’10” 205 lbs. | Woodward Academy | Atlanta, GA
For a long stretch of time Auburn has been known as a premier destination for running backs to come and thrive. Damari Alston looks to be the third head on the Cerberus that is Auburn’s running back stable. Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter are a great duo but injuries can leave a team feeling thin quickly.
Ranked #342 Nationally, #32 at Running Back, and #31 in the state of Georgia. Alston is another player I feel is drastically underrated. He broke two career records at his school (rushing yards with 4,194 and rushing touchdowns with 62). Not to mention his contributions as a receiver out of the backfield.
Alston’s offer list is indicative of a player in the top 100 nationally. Boasting offers from Auburn, LSU, Penn State, Alabama, Michigan State, Arkansas, Florida, FSU, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, and many others. Truly Alston could have gone anywhere he wanted.
Pros & Cons of Damari Alston’s Tape
Pros:
Receiving abilities are highly impressive for a high school back. Great hands, solid route running, and the ability to adjust to a scrambling quarterback make Alston a tough matchup for linebackers. This is a great compliment to the skillset of Auburn’s current quarterbacks.
This is cheating a little bit but his build, work ethic, and leadership are all impressive. Alston appears to be doing all the right things off the field that usually lead to success. He is a well-spoken and energetic athlete.
Alston’s vision is impressive to watch. He does a good job of being patient and letting his blocks develop. His shiftiness in the trenches allows him to turn a play that dies at the line of scrimmage into a positive play.
Cons:
Not the strongest runner. Though he is a physical back his 5’10” frame doesn’t lend him to be a thumper by any means. He does a good job utilizing his quick acceleration but won’t break through a lot of tackles.
Pass blocking. An interesting trade-off to Alston’s game is that he is usually out on a route and not being asked to pass block too often. Running back coaches will tell you that the quickest way on the field is to prove yourself as a pass blocker.
Missing the spring was not ideal for Alston. With Hunter out and Tank taking limited reps it would have been a great chance to prove himself. How quickly
he can pick up the playbook and prove himself will determine how much we see him this year.
2022-23 Impact Projection
Simply put this is Tank Bigsby’s year. It is widely assumed that Tank will enter the NFL after this season; that and his track record will give him the lions’ share of the carries. Hunter is the heir apparent for the RB2 role; averaging an impressive amount of yards per carrying and being a workout machine.
Hunter did have his struggles against tougher competition but the offensive line didn’t do him any favors. It will be worth watching to see if he can take the next step in his development. Additionally, his patience and short yardage game will need to be improved.
Alston will be looking to compete with a former walk-on, now scholarship running back, Sean Jackson for the third-most carries. It is more than likely that Damari will receive a sizeable amount of carries and reps. He provides a different skill set and serves as a great shifty pass catcher. This change of pace will benefit his peers at the position.