Former Wisconsin back Dilin Jones dominated in his debut with LSU

The past offseason, the Wisconsin Badgers were forced to regroup a bit at the running back position, as a combination of outgoing talent and some new incomers made it so someone was going to be left out. Dilin Jones, being an impact player for the team over the past couple of years but not consistent enough to carry a heavy workload, ended up being one of the odd men out, forcing him to pack his bags and hit the portal.

With Jones being relatively young and already somewhat experienced at the college level, it came as no surprise to see him be coveted once he put his name in the portal. The redshirt sophomore ended up getting snagged by the LSU Tigers, and has already made it clear that he is the RB1 in that room.

First Game Dominance

In just his first game, Jones took 23 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns, en route to a 51-10 win over rival Clemson. All of those totals marked career highs for Jones, who, prior to his first game in Baton Rouge, had only eclipsed 70+ yards once in his college tenure.

Jones had always shown flashes of being a dynamic runner in his time in Madison, but he finally pieced it all together with LSU. He showed the ability to dominate inside of the tackles, consistently picking up chunk yards and helping move the chains for the Tigers all game.

He still didn't show any real big-play potential, something that did factor in him getting weeded out in Wisconsin, with his longest run totaling just 15 yards. But for him to prove that he can consistently win reps no matter the circumstance and be the workhorse back for a very good SEC team is encouraging in its own right.

Did Wisconsin Miss?

Now, of course, for Badger fans, this conversation spins back to the question of if Luke Fickell and the staff made the wrong decision in not investing more heavily into Jones. Although that is a question worth asking, especially considering how great he was in Game One, it's unfair to assume that he would have been able to replicate that same kind of production in Madison.

As previously mentioned, Jones wins a lot between the tackles, relying on his offensive linemen to push forward and create opportunities that he can then exploit. Only issue with Wisconsin was that, well, the O-line was flat-out bad and unable to push forward to benefit Jones.

Even with as talented as he is, it's hard to constantly produce positively when you are trying to run through a nonexistent B gap, hence why Darrion Dupree, who is a bit more explosive and more suited for outside zones, was able to flourish.

Nonetheless, it's a bit disheartening to see yet another former Badger thrive in a new environment.

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