Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins has been outstanding his first years in the program and you can expect an even better performance in 2019.
In 2017, Ohio State true freshman running back JK Dobbins made himself a household name by halftime of his debut in the Scarlet and Gray. Dobbins got the nod to start against Indiana due to Mike Weber battling an ongoing injury where we ran for 180+ yards showing shades of Maurice Clarett.
Weber’s lingering injury allowed for Dobbins to continue to flourish in the starting role until he was able to return when the backs began splitting carries. The Ohio State offense utilized their star tandem both together and separately over their 2017 and 2018 campaigns.
Weber and Dobbins quickly became one of the premier backfields in America as they finished last season having rushed for more than 2,000 yards each in their careers.
Now that Mike Weber has declared for the NFL Draft, it is JK Dobbins job and he will see the majority of the carries in 2019. He will line up alongside highly touted transfer Quarterback Justin Fields.
Though Fields has not stepped into The Horseshoe yet, he is already an early Heisman Trophy favorite. His candidacy will make for a pick your poison approach for defenses when defending the Buckeyes’ elite attack.
Much like former Ohio State Quarterback Braxton Miller, most defenders will look for Fields to keep the ball in zone read situations because they will have to account for and respect his athleticism.
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Doing so will open up bus lanes and one on one opportunities in space for JK Dobbins who should rush for another 1,000+ yards in 2019 making the Buckeye offense virtually unguardable.
His vision and acceleration will allow him to take full advantage of those holes and situations in the open field which will lead to larger gains and breakaway rushes which have been somewhat lacking from the offense in years past.
There is much to be excited about when looking ahead to the 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes under first year Head Coach Ryan Day. One thing is for certain, JK Dobbins will continue to elevate his draft stock and separate himself from other running backs across the country.
The country will get their first glance at Day’s bunch in a few weeks during the Spring Game on April 13th.