Arizona football: Jamardre Cobb could emerge as short yardage threat for Wildcats

The former 4-star linebacker making his presence felt on offense

Once a highly-touted 4-star linebacker out of Salesian High School (Los Angeles, CA), Jamardre Cobb had high expectations placed on him the day he stepped foot on campus.

A hamstring injury set him back upon his arrival, which kept him out of shape for quite some time. He also had some difficulties adjusting to the speed of the Pac-12, and recognizing his responsibilities.

But just a few weeks ago, Rich Rodriguez decided to move him to the other side of the ball, adding a 6-0 240 lb. fullback to the mix. He didn't get any looks in week one vs. UTSA, and with Scooby Wright III going down, it seemed as if moving Cobb back to linebacker would have been beneficial. But no changes were made, nor do they seem to be coming soon, despite the copious injuries plauging the linebackers.

In a goal line situation vs. Nevada, Anu Solomon tossed the ball out into the flats, with Jamardre Cobb on the receiving end of the score. It was a simple play-action roll out to the right side of the field, and Cobb showed some soft hands and scored his first touchdown of his young career.

The implementation of a tight end into the system seemed promising. But the lack of targets during the fall scrimmage, and the season-ending injury to Trevor Wood essentially put an end to the idea of a tight end threat, particularly in the red zone.

But now, if Rich Rodriguez sees fit, Jamardre Cobb could be a valuable short yardage asset for Arizona. Whether he comes in as a lead blocker for Nick Wilson, takes it up the middle himself, or goes out into the flats like he did on Saturday.

This upcoming game vs. NAU will allow Rodriguez to iron out any wrinkles in the game plan if he does wish to continue using Cobb in the offense. It could be an interesting development, and it would certainly be nice to use his talents any way possible given his lofty expectations.

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