Heading into his senior season JK Dobbins has obliterated all doubts and concerns for me. Dobbins has topped two 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in his last two seasons as the bell cow at La Grange, and has proven to be a home run hitter from just about anywhere on the field with good shiftiness and straight line speed. He displays good vision, great balance, the ability to run through contact and is very durable. If I’m nitpicking, the only thing I really need to see from him at this point is his ability to pick up blitzes in pass protection, but that will come with time.
Despite already having impressive film, Dobbins isn’t resting on his laurels and is continuing to make his case for being one of the top backs in the country. The Ohio State commit earned an invite to The Opening at the Houston regional this spring and proceeded to light up the testing portion in Oregon and win the Nike Football Rating Championship with a score of 146.76. Dobbins’ explosiveness was on full display as he threw down a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, 4.09 in the shuttle, and 43.1 inches in the vertical. After putting up those great numbers, Dobbins said he still could have performed better.
On top off putting on a show during the testing portion, Dobbins showed that he can be a very capable receiver out of the backfield during the 7 on 7 portion of the event. With his ability as a runner not being in question, Dobbins showing off a decent set of hands only adds to an already loaded skill set. I think the notion of him being classified as an all-purpose back needs to be revisited, as I believe that he has the ability to be a complete back as well as a workhorse. Dobbins is already used in a variety of ways currently, including out of the Wildcat formation, and he is quite effective at it. Just find a way to get the ball in this kid’s hands and watch the magic happen.
Despite carrying a heavy load on offense, Dobbins also has spent time on defense and special teams. One thing I’ve noticed about Dobbins is that he is a great teammate and a very hard worker that is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. Even if that means not being able to come off the field much, he is willing to sacrifice his energy for the betterment of the team. He is really a coach’s dream and then some, and in my opinion he is the best back in the state and one of the very best in the entire country.
It’s hard not to like or appreciate a guy like JK the more you watch and speak with him and get an idea of what he is about and represents. With two seasons of over 2,000 yards under his belt, Dobbins told me in Oregon he is aiming to break the Central Texas all-time record for rushing yards. There is no doubt in my mind that with his great work ethic and undeniable talent that he will be able to achieve any lofty goals that he has for himself this year and beyond. Whoever ends up signing Dobbins on National Signing Day is getting a heck of a player and someone who is going to make an instant impact wherever he goes.
