Top JUCO RB Artis-Payne officially signs with Auburn

AUBURN — The first official commitment of the Gus Malzahn era was signed Wednesday. Running back Cameron Artis-Payne of Allan Hancock Community College (Santa Maria, Calif.), considered one of the top junior college running backs in the country, signed his National Letter of Intent with Auburn, Malzahn announced in a press release Wednesday, the first day junior college players could officially sign.

“I chose Auburn because of the history of the school and because they put out a lot of great running backs,” Artis-Payne said in an Allan Hancock release when he first committed in November. “I’m really excited about starting my Division I career.”

Artis-Payne rushed for 2,048 yards and 25 touchdowns on 261 attempts this past season in 10 games with the Bulldogs. The 5-11, 220-pound tailback broke four school records for rushing yards and touchdowns during his two seasons and led the California Community College Athletic Association in rushing yards, yards per game, yards per rush and touchdowns this year.

“Cameron is a self-made man,” Bulldogs coach Kris Dutra said. “Through hard work, he made this happen for himself and I’m very proud of him.”

In 2011, the Harrisburg, Penn. native ran for 1,364 yards with 18 touchdowns.

Artis-Payne played in a pro-style system at Allan Hancock, as his highlight videos show him consistently lined up behind a fullback. Auburn attempted to run such a system this past season under Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler to no avail.

Malzahn was able to convince Artis-Payne that he would also fit into a two-back system as part of a hurry-up, no-huddle offense.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference and I’ve achieved that,” Artis-Payne said. “It’s a dream come true for me.”