In 2008 California running back Jahvid Best broke onto the national scene when he rushed for a combined 698 yards and eight touchdowns on 58 carries in the last three games of the season. Coming into the 2009 season, Best was thought of as a rising star, a player who had the potential to take over a game and could potentially lead his team to victory. To say that he has done that thus far would be an understatement.


       So far in 2009, Best has taken off just where he left off in 2008, as he’s carried the ball 53 times for 412 yards and eight touchdowns, including five this past weekend in Minnesota. An outstanding athlete who has been as close to former USC running back Reggie Bush as a college player could be, Best is currently one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. A junior who could very easily declare for the NFL Draft this offseason, Best projects as a first round pick, likely among the Top 15 picks, similar to where Knowshon Moreno went in the 2008 draft (12th overall). I currently have Best projected to go to the Seahawks. In Seattle, he’d get to stay on the west coast and play in the NFC West, and he would be able to share the load with Julius Jones for the next few years.


       One of the top playmakers in the nation, Best has impressed NFL scouts and is now likely the top running back on every team’s draft boards. Coming into the year, Jonathan Dwyer of Georgia Tech was rated higher than Best by some outlets, however, between Dwyer’s disappointing start to the year as well as Best’s extremely impressive start, Best now has a firm grasp on the top running back spot.


       A very quick back with terrific speed and elusiveness in the open field, Best also has experience as a returner on special teams. Best is a bit more of a complete player than Bush was at USC, as he also has more experience running between the tackles. In Bush’s career at USC, he recorded 2,648 yards and 22 touchdowns on 343 attempts. Thus far, Best has accumulated 2,213 yards and 25 touchdowns on 276 carries. While Bush did share the load with Lendale White, Best has also given carries to backup Shane Vereen. Either way, the dramatic difference between the amount of carries that the two had, and the similar stats, shows just how good of a back Best is, and that being able to consistently run the ball up the middle is bound to help him at the next level.


        With Reggie Bush being proclaimed as a bit of a bust by some scouts, Best has a chance to enter the league next season and put forth the production that Bush was supposed to put up. Keep an eye on Best the next three weeks as the Cal Bears take on Oregon, USC, and UCLA. The next three weeks could determine what type of year both Best and Cal have. They win all three, and Best is the absolute favorite for the Heisman. It should be a fun next few weeks.

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