Liam Dobson: from Maine to Texas and tomorrow off to Toronto?
UMaine has lost a high-quality football player because it decided to play no games in the fall of 2020. The Pine Tree State has some difficulties with relaunching sports activities while still trying to curb the epidemic. Hopefully, in a few weeks, restrictions could be gradually eased. Sports activities will go back to normal, and Betamerica Maine will be there to provide fans with the best opportunities to wager on late winter and spring competitions. Liam Dobson was not so patient, though. The Ottawa-born offensive lineman announced his decision to transfer on December 16th 2020. Black Bears head coach Nick Charlton had explained that Dobson was planning to play at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. That is a step up from the Football Championship Subdivision in which UMaine competes.
As soon as Dobson entered the transfer portal, offers began to pour in. The impressive Black Bear, famous for being “really athletic” (29-inch vert) for his 340 pounds and 6-foot-3, was contacted by WKU, Texas state, FIU, MTSU, ECU, ODU, Arkansas state, Toledo, CMU. On January 8th, he announced his final decision: the commitment to Texas State University. Dobson had no difficulty in attracting so many offers and choosing what he wanted. He had come out on top as UMaine’s best offensive lineman for every game in 2019 when he averaged 12 knockdowns per game. During his sophomore year in 2018, Dobson started 14 games at right guard and was an All-CAA second-team selection and a HERO Sports Sophomore All-America honorable mention. As a freshman, he played in six games, including one start.
While excited about his new Texas adventure, Liam Dobson has recently admitted that he is also giving some thoughts to a possible Draft in the CFL. The same CFL official site reveals that “he currently sits as the seventh-ranked prospect on the CFL’s Winter Scouting Bureau rankings and is the second-ranked offensive lineman”. In a podcast aired on January 24th, Dobson commented: “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t. I feel like every kid who’s been in my position has dreamt of being a draft pick. But I tend to just try to stay in the moment as much as possible because I know that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. I’ve thought about it more for the CFL because I love to travel.”
Speaking about the improving quality of Canadian football, Dobson voiced his opinion: ““I attribute some of it to the competition and there being good athletes around, so you always want to work harder. If you look at programs like Gridiron Academy and look at the people who have worked out there and gone on to play college and professional football — whether it’s the NFL or CFL. There are just people in your corner who want to help you succeed and want the best for you, and that’s athletically and academically.”
Will Texas sirens be more attractive than the call of the wild from home? For Liam Dobson, after his final university year, the future is all to be seen.
