"Jarquez Hunter Day" set to be celebrated

Former Neshoba Central football star and current Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter will be honored on Saturday with “Jarquez Hunter Day” and a ceremony at the Ellis Theater. 

Hunter was a three-sport star for Neshoba Central during his high school days, playing football and basketball, while also running for the Rocket track team. 

Hunter was dominant during his career for Neshoba Central on the football field, winning the Mr. Football award for Class 5A as a senior, and rushing for 1,687 yards and 22 touchdowns during his final season. During his high school career, he also broke Marcus Dupree’s long standing career touchdown record, scoring 93 times in a Neshoba Central jersey.

“Just always growing up in Philadelphia and going to Neshoba, my football coaches taught me how to work hard and the things I have to do to get where I’m at now,” Hunter said. “They always taught me discipline in life as a person and a player and to always keep a great attitude and mentality about yourself.”

After his historic high school career, Hunter signed with Auburn as the 43rd-ranked running back prospect in the country and the 12th-ranked prospect in the state of Mississippi. He made an instant impact in his freshman season for the Tigers, running for 597 yards and being named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

Hunter also put together very solid sophomore and junior seasons at Auburn, despite dealing with a coaching change in between the two seasons. In those two years, Hunter ran for a combined 1,577 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“Auburn is always where I wanted to go and Auburn was always really good to me,” Hunter said. “Even when we weren’t having the best seasons, you just have to stay the course and keep grinding, that's how you battle through adversity like that.”

His senior season was when Hunter truly established himself as a bonafide NFL Draft prospect and one of the best running backs in all of college football. Hunter ran for 1,201 yards and 8 touchdowns and was named to the All-SEC first team. Hunter finished his Auburn career as the school’s fourth all-time leading rusher with 3,371 rushing yards, only behind Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams, and James Brooks.

“I put a lot more focus on taking care of my body and learning the game of football better during my senior season,” Hunter said. “Putting a focus on that really slowed the game down for me and let me play the game as fast and as best as I could.”

Following his standout senior season at Auburn, Hunter was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round with the 117th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hunter will be the fourth player in the history of the Neshoba Central football program to play a game in the NFL, joining Derrick Hoskins, Tyrone Rush, and Tim Edwards.

“Everything is going really well in LA, it’s a great team with great coaches, and they have a real family atmosphere,” Hunter said. “Everyone plays the game like a pro and practices like a pro, but the biggest difference for me is definitely learning the playbook and having to adjust to that.”

Now, Hunter will be back in his hometown and will be honored by having a day named after him in Philadelphia.

“It’s very special to get this kind of support from my family, friends, and community. It just shows how much they care about me and are behind me,” Hunter said. “So many people have done a lot for me behind the scenes to get where I am today and I’m very appreciative for that. I know it’s going to be a great day.”

The ceremony will begin at 11 AM at the Ellis Theater this Saturday, June 28th and will be open to the community to come out and celebrate Hunter. 

“It will be a great event for the community and to recognize Jarquez,” Executive Director of the Philadelphia Community Development Partnership Tim Moore said. “Jarquez is one of the great athletes we have had come out of Neshoba County and we are looking forward to recognizing him at the event on Saturday.”

Moore says that the ceremony will highlight his entire football career with Neshoba Central, Auburn, and now the Los Angeles Rams. After the ceremony, Moore says Hunter will be available to sign autographs for fans.