Ohio State freshman J.K. Dobbins joined an exclusive club on Saturday when he became the fourth running back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in his freshman season. He is also the second straight RB to hit this accomplishment after Mike Weber did it last year.
Dobbins joins Mike Weber, Maurice Clarett, and Robert Smith as the other OSU backs to do so. Dobbins, Clarett, and Smith did so as true freshman. Weber was a redshirt freshman when achieved this feat (which still counts).
Dobbins needed 86 yards entering play, and in the third quarter against the Spartans, he surpassed the century mark on a 35-yard run up the field. At the end of the game last week, Dobbins had 15 carries for 103 yards (6.9 yards per carry) against MSU, giving him 1,017 for the season.
The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Dobbins joined Maurice Clarett when he totaled 1,237 in 2002, Robert Smith when he recorded 1,126 in 1990, and Mike Weber when he finished with 1,096 last year.
The trio of Dobbins, Clarett, and Smith are the only true freshmen to accomplish the feat at OSU. Dobbins entered this week leading the Big Ten in yards per carry at 7.7. J.K. is from La Grange, Texas, and was ranked as the No. 2 all-purpose back and the No. 46 overall prospect in the country in the 2017 class. There is no surprise he smashed this challenge.
Dobbins achieved the milestone in just 10 games, leaving him well within reach of potentially breaking Clarett’s school freshman rushing record of 1,237 yards! Clarett achieved the milestone in only eight games, but played in only 11 games. Smith achieved the milestone in 10 games, but played in only 12 games, whereas Dobbins could potentially play as many as 14 games this season, depending on whether Ohio State makes the Big Ten Championship Game.