Ohio State vs. Clemson Fiesta Bowl: 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch
Travis Etienne, Running Back, Clemson
One of the more interesting storylines for me heading into the 2020 NFL Draft will be where the top running backs of the class end up going, and if any are able to crack the first round in a very talented draft, overall.
Two of those top backs will be featured heavily in this ball game, and the number one running back in the opinion of many is Clemson’s Travis Etienne. Maybe the most dynamic runner in the class, Etienne can take it the distance on any given play. His speed is elite and should turn some heads at the 2020 NFL Draft Scouting Combine. He has great balance through contact and his very tough to bring down.
While he has become more involved in the passing game this season, catching the ball out of the backfield is still Etienne’s primary weak spot. He will have to prove reliable in that area if Clemson really wants to stay dynamic as an offense against Ohio State and if he wants to be a three-down back at the next level.
Etienne has shown incredible production throughout his time at Clemson. He leads the nation ins yards per attempt this season, showing his big-play ability down after down. He led the nation last season with 24 rushing touchdowns and leads the ACC in 2019 with 17. He has totaled 1,500 rushing yards so far this season and could break his career-high of 1,658 set last year with a couple solid performances to finish the year.
Ohio State has been great on defense all year long but did allow 148 rushing yards and a touchdown to Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor in the Big Ten Championship Game. Taylor is another one of those backs that may enter the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, so if Etienne has similar production this week, he could be right in that mix.
J.K. Dobbins, Running Back, Ohio State
J.K. Dobbins is a guy that has been flying up 2020 NFL Draft boards and playing his way into that first round/RB1 conversation with Etienne, Taylor and DeAndre Swift of Georgia. Despite not playing in many fourth quarters of blowout victories this season, Dobbins is third in the nation with 1,829 rushing yards and sixth with 20 rushing touchdowns.
In that Big Ten Championship Game in which Jonathan Taylor found so much success, Dobbins shined even brighter, running for 172 yards and a touchdown. Dobbins has been on a tear all season long, just finding way after way to make an impact on the ground.
There really isn’t any one thing that stands out that Dobbins does at an elite level. He just does everything at a very high level, leading to success for him and his offense. He is tough enough to run through most arm tackles, elusive enough to make many defenders miss, fast enough to go all the way in the open field and effective as a pass catcher and pass blocker.
Dobbins is a very tough runner who is hard to bring down. He makes simple, smart decisions with the ball in his hand to maximize his impact on every single play. With quarterback Justin Fields a little banged up, Ohio State may rely heavily on Dobbins to keep up his level of play against one of the best defenses in the nation if they want to advance to the National Championship Game.