Blake Jarwin’s Explosiveness and Consistency Important For OSU In 2016

As the Cowboys moved away from the wide-open Air Raid of Dana Holgorsen and Todd Monken, Mike Gundy wanted to implement a more pro-style system featuring a tight end. The idea was to recruit players who could fit both the tight end and fullback role.

Blake Jarwin has been the poster child of the three-year old hybrid position named “Cowboy Back” by its position coach Jason McEndoo.

Saturday started off with a bang for Jarwin. His first catch went for 54 yards and the Cowboys’ second touchdown of the day to give them a 14-13 lead in the second quarter. His next play in the same quarter went for 42 yards.

Blake Jarwin not only had a career game with 96 yards and a touchdown, it was the best game by an OSU “tight end” since Blake Jackson was had multiple triple-digit performances back in 2012.

“When you have some one on the inside who can do what he did, safeties aren’t able to cheat all the way out and try to guard the outside guys,” James Washington told the Stillwater News Press. “They’ve got to start respecting him, too, because if not he will do exactly what he did today.”

Jarwin’s 17.64 yards per reception is second on the team only to James Washington’s 19.48 average this year (sophomore Cowboy Back Keenen Brown does have a 23.50 average but on only two catches). Jarwin has catches in each of the last three games. All four of them have been for 20+ yards. This opens up the field for Rudolph as well as his stable of RBs.

The former walk-on has become a consistent outlet for Mason Rudolph. In Jarwin’s previous career-best game earlier this year against Texas, he had three huge third-down plays that were crucial to OSU’s win over Texas as I wrote here for Cowboys Ride For Free.

On the opening drive, before Justice Hill’s 30-yard touchdown run that lit up Twitter, the Cowboys faced third down and 6 on their own 40-yard line. Mason Rudolph threw it to Jarwin who made a man miss and went 17 yards, keeping the drive alive.

On the next drive, Jarwin made a 13-yard catch on third down and 10 from the Cowboy 30-yard line. Again he kept a drive alive that ended this time with James Washington “going house” on a 54-yard play which we will see for years to come on YouTube compilations.

The Cowboy Back has seen an increased role in the Cowboys’ offense and one of the biggest reasons for that has been the consistency of Blake Jarwin.