Image courtesy of Holy Cross

By Jack Fitzpatrick

Jacob Dobbs, a top linebacker at the FCS level with Holy Cross, announced via X (formerly Twitter) that he will play the 2024 season with James Madison. 

This addition will add a needed piece to the linebacker room after Jailin Walker, Aiden Fisher and Taurus Jones all entered the Transfer Portal. The only returning linebacker with starting experience on the roster was Trent Hendrick.  

The Holy Cross transfer will look to have an immediate impact on the Dukes’ defense. At Holy Cross in 2023, he racked up 123 tackles, most in the Patriot League and second most in the FCS.  

Over the course of Dobbs’ career he has tallied 432 tackles, 255 of which were solo and 46.5 tackles for loss. He finished his Crusader career with the third most tackles in program history and the most tackles for loss. 

The sixth year grad transfer from Macomb, Michigan was a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist in 2021 and 2023 and a William V. Campbell Trophy finalist this past season. Dobbs also won the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year award after suffering a dislocated elbow, a torn UCL, torn forearm and torn tricep tendon during Week 4 of the 2022 season.

Dobbs entered the transfer portal after finishing his undergrad career at Holy Cross where he majored in economics and he picked up a religious studies major so he could play his fifth year. The Crusaders don’t have a graduate program which forced Dobbs to enter the portal so he could use his final year of eligibility. 

“I really wanted to weigh the opportunity to maybe compete at a higher level or possibly to enter the NFL Draft,” Dobbs said about his transfer process. 

In the end, Dobbs decided to come to James Madison to play out his final year of eligibility under his former coach and try to bolster his NFL Draft stock heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. 

WATCH | Jacob Dobbs talks Transfer Process