Josh Dobbs – What A Difference A Year Makes

What a difference a year has made for the University of Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs. This time last season all of the stories coming from Knoxville about starting quarterback’s had relegated the rising Sophomore to third string. Dobbs was clearly behind Senior Justin Worley and classmate Nathan Peterman was right behind Worley.

Dobbs was an after thought. I never understood this. Oh I kept hearing how Dobbs was not a good practice player. I heard he couldn’t throw accurately. I heard that during practice he could make the tough throw, and then miss someone on a 5 yard out.

But here was the problem for me. I personally saw Dobbs in the Spring Game and in the Fall Practice that Coach Butch Jones puts on. There was never a doubt. While the other quarterback’s were struggling to get the offense moving, Dobbs came in and threw a 45 yard touchdown to then freshman Josh Malone. He quietly walked to the sideline afterward still as the third string quarterback.

I described Dobbs then as the only “instinctive” quarterback on the roster. If you have ever played the position at any level, you know what I mean. You know who will be open and when they will be open. Dobbs clearly had that “feel”.

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Now I am not demeaning Justin Worley in any way. Justin deserved to start as a Senior. Justin performed well as a starter. But to be relegated to third string behind Peterman was borderline quarterback coach malpractice in my opinion. That is not a dig at Peterman. It is a dig at Mike Bajakian however. It cost Tennessee the Florida game for sure.

The zone read offense of Tennessee was an absolute disaster with Worley running the show. Let’s call it like it was. Although Worley was a warrior (and I will always hold him in high esteem for what he went through last season) he was not suited to run the zone read option. You see, in order to run the option, the quarterback must keep the ball and be effective running the ball. That is why they call it an “option”. You keep, or you give it to Hurd.

Worley simply gave it to Hurd every single time. Now that is a good choice since Hurd is a much better runner than Worley. But anyone that played defense at a Pop Warner league level figured out quickly that all they had to do was go straight to Hurd. Forget about Worley and the fake all together. He was not going to keep it. Bajakian would praise Worley after each game saying he made the correct reads every time. It infuriated me personally. It had to get under Hurd’s pads as well. Hurd was getting hit before the ball got to him. Not much he could do at that point.

Enter Josh Dobbs finally, and thank you Lord. Dobbs came in and immediately the offense changed. For the first time the zone read looked like what it was supposed to look like. The defense had to respect the quarterback keep. It opened Dobbs for huge chunks of yardage, and it opened lanes for a great running back like Jalen Hurd to take advantage. It was not the same Tennessee from that point on.

So fast forward to now. There is no doubt who the Tennessee starter will be behind center as of today. Unless Dobbs gets hurt in Fall practice, or NASA needs a rocket built in a month as a matter of National Security and they need Josh to do the math, he is clearly the man on Rocky Top. No one else is close.

Dobbs has gone from an afterthought to being on the premier watch lists for the best quarterback in the country. He went from third stringer to being a camp counselor at Nike’s Elite Eleven Camp for the best of the best. He also outperformed the other top quarterbacks there and drew praises from the likes of Trent Dilfer. Tennessee commit Jarrett Guarantano was there as well, but that is another story.

Suffice it to say it has been a whirlwind for Josh. Success looks good on this guy, and his success looks good on Tennessee. He is the ultimate student athlete. He may well be the smartest player in the NCAA. He is seen around campus at the library more than in the bars on the strip. He is the guy that you want representing the University of Tennessee. Heck, he is the guy you want representing College Football.

Yes, what a difference a year makes for some. For Josh Dobbs, it is light years from where he was. It will not be all wine and roses for the young man. It will come with adversity as well. Can he handle it? Can he handle being in the spotlight? Can he handle a smattering of boos from the Tennessee crowd if the offense sputters? Can he handle the pressure of a close game that Tennessee is supposed to win? I think so, but we will see. I can assure you that Josh wasn’t thinking in these terms 365 days ago.