J'Kaylin Dobbins (born December 17, 1998) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...

and was selected by the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

in the second round of the

2020 NFL draft The 2020 NFL draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...

. He spent four seasons with the Ravens before joining the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...

for the

2024 NFL season The 2024 NFL season was the 105th season of the National Football League (NFL). The season began on September 5, 2024, with reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City defeating Baltimore in the NFL Kickoff Game. The regular season concluded on ...

Early life

Dobbins attended La Grange High School in

La Grange, Texas La Grange ( ) is a city and the county seat of Fayette County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. La Grange is in the center of the Texas-German belt. The population was 4,391 at the 2010 census, and in 2018 the estimated population ...

. During his

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

career, he had 5,149 yards and 74

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

. He rushed for 2,243 yards and 37 touchdowns as a sophomore and 2,740 yards and 35 touchdowns as a junior. He played in only one game his senior year due to an injury. Despite his injury, Dobbins was a highly-touted four-star prospect, and received over twenty scholarship offers from

Power Five conferences The power conferences are the most prominent athletic conferences in college football in the United States. They are part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I, the highest level o ...

. All major recruiting websites ranked him in the top five among his 2017 class for his position and in the top ten for players from the state of Texas.

247Sports 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on college recruiting, athletic recruitment in college football and college basketball, basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount Global, Paramount. The website hosts a large ...

and

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ranked him as a top-50 recruit in the country. After some speculation that he would sign with Texas or Oklahoma, Dobbins committed to

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

to play

College career

2017 season

In his first game at Ohio State in 2017, Dobbins rushed for 181 yards on 29 carries against

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. Dobbins had earned the start over the returning 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year

Mike Weber Michael Weber (born December 16, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey Defenceman, defenseman. He previously played with the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Frölunda HC of the Swedis ...

who was recovering from an injury. In his first season, he eclipsed 100 rushing yards in six games and became only the fourth freshman in Ohio State history to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in a season. During the

2017 Big Ten Football Championship Game The 2017 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover was played on December 2, 2017 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The seventh annual Big Ten Football Championship Game, it determined the 2017 champion of the Big Ten ...

, Dobbins overtook

Maurice Clarett Maurice Edward Clarett (born October 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Duri ...

for the most rushing yards by a Freshman with his 174-yard, MVP performance. During a 24–7

Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its Cotton Bowl (stadium), namesake ...

win against

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

, Dobbins set the Freshman rushing record at 1,403 yards.

2018 season

Despite a record-setting 2017 season, Dobbins' would once again split time with Weber during his Sophomore year. The time split paired with

Dwayne Haskins Dwayne Haskins Jr. (May 3, 1997 – April 9, 2022) was an American professional American football, football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons and played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes f ...

' award-winning performance at quarterback led to a decrease in productivity for Dobbins. He ended the season with 1,053 yards rushing but remained the team's leading rusher. Notably, he had his first 200+ yard rushing game against

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

2019 season

In 2019, Dobbins would enter his junior season with high expectations. These expectations were met when he went on to gain 100+ yards in ten games during the season. This included a four-touchdown performance against

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

that stemmed from 211 yards rushing. He finished his season as the only Buckeye in history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, passing

Eddie George Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American college American football, football coach and former running back who is the head football coach at Bowling Green Falcons football, Bowling Green State University. He previously ...

. Dobbins was a

Doak Walker Award The Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. Established in 1990, it is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Foot ...

finalist and finished sixth for the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...

. He was named First-team All-Big Ten and First-team All-American as an All-Purpose player by the

Football Writers Association of America The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...

. On December 30, 2019, Dobbins announced his intention to forgo his senior season and enter the

. He left Ohio State with a total of 4,459 yards rushing, which makes him second all time. He won four Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Awards, three Big Ten titles and two bowl games.

College statistics

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens

Dobbins was selected in the second round of the

with the 55th overall pick by the

. The Ravens previously traded tight end

Hayden Hurst Hayden Randle Hurst (born August 24, 1993) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Early life ...

to the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

to acquire the pick used on Dobbins.

2020 season

In his NFL debut against the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

on September 13, 2020, Dobbins had seven carries for 22 yards and scored his first two career rushing touchdowns in a 38–6 victory in Week 1. In Week 8 against the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

, he had his first 100-yard rushing game with 15 carries for 113 rushing yards in the 24–28 loss. He was placed on the reserve/

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

list by the team on November 23, 2020, and activated on December 4. Dobbins first start in his career came in a Week 16 27–13 win over the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He finished the game with 11 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. In Week 17 against the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

, Dobbins rushed for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns during the 38–3 win.

2021 season

Dobbins suffered a

torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...

in the final preseason game against the

Washington Football Team The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

on August 28, 2021, and was placed on

injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...

a few days later. Dobbins did not play the entire 2021 season and was put into rehab during his time off.

2022 season

Dobbins was cleared for full-time starter duty after missing the first two weeks of the season. However, he suffered another knee injury in Week 6 and was placed on injured reserve on October 22, 2022. He was activated from injured reserve on December 10, 2022. In Week 14 against the Steelers, he had 15 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 16–14 win. In Week 15 against the Browns, he had 13 carries for 125 yards in the 13–3 loss. In the 2022 season, Dobbins appeared in and started eight games. He finished with 92 carries for 520 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In the Wild Card Round loss to the Bengals, he had 105 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown.

2023 season

In the Week 1 game against the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

, Dobbins finished with 22 rushing yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury. Immediately thereafter, it was revealed that Dobbins had suffered a torn

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

, which prematurely ended his season. He was placed on injured reserve on September 12, 2023.

Los Angeles Chargers

On April 18, 2024, Dobbins signed a one-year contract with the

. In their

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

season opener under new head coach

Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...

, he rushed 10 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in a 22–10 win over the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...

. In Week 2, he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown in the 26–3 win over the Carolina Panthers. In Week 12, Dobbins suffered a MCL sprain during the matchup against

, he was placed on injured reserve on November 30, ahead of the Week 13 matchup against

. He was activated on December 27.

Denver Broncos

On June 11, 2025, Dobbins signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Growing up in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

near the border with

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, Dobbins has developed a distinct interest in the

Spanish language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

and

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

culture.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Ohio State Buckeyes bioDenver Broncos bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobbins, J. K. Living people 1998 births People from La Grange, Texas Players of American football from Fayette County, Texas American football running backs Ohio State Buckeyes football players Baltimore Ravens players All-American college football players Los Angeles Chargers players Denver Broncos players