Dilin Jones is looking the part of the lead back for the Wisconsin Badgers after fall camp. While Luke Fickell will employ multiple backs, Jones is exploding onto the scene and looks to be a force this season. Yet, it's one thing to impress fans in preseason practices; it's quite another to get national media to recognize potential. ESPN is now also on the Jones hype train.
Jones is listed eighth on a list of eleven second-year players that could have a breakout season, and it seems obvious that ESPN has been hearing some sniffs from camp too. Noting that the Badgers didn't turn to the portal for RB replacements for a reason. That's been the talk the last few weeks, after fans have realized what we have in the running backs room.
ESPN lists Dilin Jones No. 8 on second year breakout candidate list
Jones is the only Badger to be on the list as it was limited to 10 players with an additional group of five player mentioned. There are four total Big Ten players on the list with Julian Sayin topping it off at No. 1 followed by Michigan's Jordan Marshall. The other Big Ten player to be mentioned is Kingston Lopa a defensive back who plays for Oregon.
"[Jones] got an impressive size-to-speed ratio and good change-of-direction skills. Jones isn't just a classic bruising back that Badgers fans are accustomed to. He can also hit the home run and make tackles miss in the open field. It's a good RB unit and Jones won't have to carry the load, which should keep him fresh and healthy as the Badgers look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season."ESPN
There is a lot of excitement from Badger fans this season as it looks like the offense is going to be clicking on all cylinders. The quarterback play is better, the wide receivers are looking great, the running backs are the best position group on the team, and it's going to be a good offensive attack. Finally! For Fickell, that's the goal: bringing in a new offensive coordinator, Jeff Grimes, and a balanced attack.
For Jeff Grimes, the keyword is "attack." He wants to take it to the defense and be the most physical team on the field. Dilin Jones is going to be a big part of that.