The Los Angeles Chargers have a long history of finding undrafted players that vastly over-perform. Famously, Antonio Gates and currently Austin Ekeler. But there are plenty more from legends like Malcom Floyd, We Welker (who they cut too soon to say the least), and current Chargers stars in Michael Davis and maybe a new star.
In a dominant team performance last weekend, there were plenty of bright spots. But none more than Dotson. His breakaway speed was put on full display on his two long touchdown runs last weekend in the preseason opener. Chargers fans were hyped to see the running backs higher on the depth chart, Josh Kelley and Isaiah Spiller. Not many expected the small school third-string running back to steal the show, but the same was said about Ekeler not too long ago. This begs the question, who is this Elijah Dotson guy and where did he come from?
Before the NFL
Dotson graduated from Antelope HS in Sacramento, California. He dominated with 2223 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in his senior season.
Dotson started his collegiate career at Sacramento State. Despite being on a lower-end Division I school, he still shined in his time there. He had multiple 1000-yard seasons there, but was never in the spotlight. In his last season in the NCAA, Dotson transferred to Northern Colorado for a little more competition. In the 2022 season, Dotson totaled a modest 929 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. While it wasn’t enough to get drafted, his flashes of greatness were enough to earn a chance with the Chargers for the preseason.
Dotson’s Future
While the future is unclear, Dotson put his talents on full display, putting all the pressure on the Chargers front office. Dotson is most similar to Ekeler in stature, with Dotson being 5 ‘9″. It has only been one game since Dotson exploded, but he is still the underdog that has a lot to prove to make this team or even the NFL. He has likely already earned a practice squad spot, but it is still an uphill battle being the current fourth-string running back, with Ekeler being the obvious starter. Dotson made a lot of fans intrigued on him and his story, as many will be watching what is next in his NFL journey.
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Featured image courtesy of Chargers.com
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