PREP PREVIEW: Cobb looking for a repeat of 2020
Catholic’s Jeramiah Cobb is looking for an encore of the 2020 season. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
He came out of nowhere last season to rush for more than 2,000 yards and help Catholic to the 3A finals.
So what will Jeremiah Cobb do for an encore?
For one thing, he’s added 25 pounds to his frame, making him much more of a threat to break tackles.
“I can really tell a difference,” Cobb said. “It’s easier to run through people. It makes it harder for them to tackle me.”
Tallassee saw a lot of the “new” Cobb in the first half of a spring jamboree against the 5A Tigers as he now weighs 185 pounds and appears just as fast.
“He’s officially 185 pounds, which was one of his biggest setbacks as far as recruiting,” Catholic coach Kirk Johnson said. “It’s hard for a Power Five school to feel good about you when you’re 170 pounds. He’s different. Jeremiah Cobb ran the ball at 160 pounds like he was 205. But when he’s 185 and he runs like he’s 205, that’s going to be a lot different.”
Cobb and the Knights open the 2021 season at home against B.B. Comer on Friday and Cobb will play a more significant role this fall, Johnson said, although he declined to reveal any specifics.
“We’re asking a lot out of him,” Johnson said. “Jeremiah is going to have to do a lot of things for us. I don’t want to speak on some of it. When you’re a 10.6 100-meter dash, we want the ball in your hands as many times as we can.
“That’s what we’ve sold to him. Not only that, but we’ve sold him how the best players can do it all. DeVonta Smith won the Heisman this past year probably not because he was the best receiver, but because he was the best player.”
Cobb gives a little indication of his extra duties when he discusses his pass receiving ability.
“(The Catholic offense) is not going to be that different, but it’s a little better than it was last year,” he said. “We’re just correcting things we messed up on last year and making it better. I’ve been learning all the slot plays and catching the ball during practice more.
Despite the additional weight, his speed is still among the best in the state. He won the 3A state championship in outdoor track this past May in the 100-meter (10.88 seconds) and 200-meter (22.21 seconds) events. He already had 2,013 yards and 18 touchdowns on 231 carries last fall, an average of 8.7 yards per carry and 134.2 yards per game. Adding the track titles to his resume just made Cobb a bigger attraction to college recruiters.
“Now that it’s verified that he actually ran those things, his recruitment has picked up,” Johnson said. “The only thing that slowed him down is he just can’t weigh 165. He recently got an offer from Georgia Tech, North Carolina loves him, Florida State, Vandy. I foresee him in the next year having plenty of options. If he never gained another pound, I think he’d play slot receiver at a high quality program.”
Cobb prefers running back, although he has heard from recruiters about the possibility of playing slot receiver in college.
“I’ve had a couple of college coaches tell me that,” he said. “I’m still working to get bigger and stronger and play at the next level as a running back.”
No one has ever questioned his mindset as a running back. He has the speed to elude defenders, but seems to thrive on contact.
“You get extra yards running north and south,” he explained.
Cobb averaged 19 yards per catch on receptions out of the backfield last year (10 for 191 and two touchdowns) and there are plenty of statistical accolades to shoot for, but the junior works on eliminating negatives (he had two fumbles last season) as he contemplates personal goals in 2021.
“Last year in the playoffs, I fumbled,” he said. “My goal is to go through the whole season not fumbling the ball. Get more yards than last season and be a better team player.”