Dilin Jones finishes every run.
It’s something his father instilled in him, and he takes it to the practice field. On reps that don’t involve tackling, it’s common to see Jones finish runs well downfield and into the end zone. Running backs coach Kevin Smith echoes Jones’s father.
“Since I was a kid, my dad was just always telling me I need to finish,” Jones said. “Even since I was wrestling, he was just always said, ‘finish, finish, finish’. And then coming out here, coach Smith, he says finishing was a big part of his career… him getting in that end zone every time at practice, helps you doing it in the game. And I say it’s really a big reason why I do it.”
The physicality Jones plays with separates him in a crowded running backs room that returns significant production. While all of the receivers and quarterbacks are competing against new faces, Jones is working alongside Caden Durham and Harlem Berry. Durham has led LSU in rushing the last two seasons, and Berry started the final six games last year.
Jones could have chosen plenty of school with a greater need for a starting running back. Instead, he chose a place entrenched with options.
“I like competition,” Jones said. “That’s going to drive me to be the best player. So, really seeing the guys in the room helped me push myself to be a better me.”
Smith has fostered competition daily amongst the group. Jones led the way late in spring. Berry shined in the first fall scrimmage, and Durham ripped off two huge plays over the weekend in the team’s final scrimmage. Considering the subpar production in the running game LSU limped to a season ago, this year’s version appears primed for something of a breakout.
It may come from more than one back.
“I definitely think it’s coming together,” Jones said “And then the way we practice, the way we go out there, the way we do our scrimmages, we run everything the exact same way that we would do it in the game. So, I feel like going into the game, it’ll be no different.”
