Among all of the former Ohio State Buckeyes stars playing in the NFL, running back J.K. Dobbins is one of the most under talked about alums. He is coming off of a strong season with the Los Angeles Chargers and is set to hit NFL free agency.

Dobbins has struggled with injury issues throughout his career. However, he has finally started being able to stay healthy and show off what he’s capable of doing.

In 2024 with the Chargers, Dobbins played in 13 games. He ended up with 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries, which averages out to 4.6 yards per carry.

Also, Dobbins was able to catch 32 passes for 153 yards on the season.

Now, he’ll look to cash in and find the best possible landing spot in free agency. He could simply re-sign with Los Angeles, but there is a good chance that there will be a handful of teams with offers on the table for him.

Grant Podell of CBS Sports has suggested that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be a possible destination for Dobbins.

Landing with the Steelers would make a lot of sense. Pittsburgh could have a major need for running back help depending on how other things go this offseason.

Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are eligible for free agency. While the Steelers could bring one or both of them back, they’re more likely to need a second running back while bringing back one of them.

Signing Dobbins would not break the bank for Pittsburgh, but he could easily become the team’s starting running back. Harris seems likely to end up elsewhere and the Steelers could view Dobbins as a primary target to replace him.

All of that being said, Ohio State fans are hoping that Dobbins can turn things around and get back to playing to his full potential. If he can stay healthy, whoever signs Dobbins will be getting a big-time playmaker out of the backfield who is more than capable of being a consistent 1,000-yard rusher year in and year out.