Lyn-J Dixon, RB Transfer Portal: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Dixon was a four-star recruit from Taylor County High School in Butler, Ga. in the class of 2018
Lyn-J Dixon was a budding star at Clemson three years ago. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his 2020 season and conflict arose between the former four-star and the program in 2021, which led to Dixon entering the transfer portal. After recently entering the transfer portal for the second time in less than 12 months, Dixon is in danger of not hearing his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Lyn-J Dixon, RB Transfer Portal: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt senior running back from Butler, Ga.
Background: Dixon was a four-star recruit from Taylor County High School in Butler, Ga. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 258 recruit according to 247Sports, and No. 280 for On3.com. Dixon was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 171st in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. As a high school junior, Dixon carried the ball 229 times for 1,914 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also produced 1,311 yards and 14 touchdowns on 156 carries as a sophomore and 1,301 yards and 13 touchdowns on 171 carries as a freshman. In his high school career, Dixon carried the ball 629 times for 5,174 yards and 73 touchdowns. He scored 88 overall touchdowns and made 76 receptions for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns. Dixon left high school with 7,201 all-purpose yards. He committed to Tennessee before switching to Clemson. Dixon transferred from Clemson to West Virginia in the fall of 2021 but recently re-entered the transfer portal before playing a down with the Mountaineers. He does not currently have a team for the 2022 season. Dixon was born on Feb. 18, 1999.
2021 Production: 3 games, 10 carries, 48 yards + 2 receptions, 7 yards, 1 touchdown
2020 Production: 10 games, 42 carries, 190 yards, 2 touchdowns + 9 kick returns, 210 yards
2019 Production: 15 games, 104 carries, 635 yards, 6 touchdowns + 14 receptions, 121 yards
2018 Production: 13 games, 62 carries, 547 yards, 5 touchdowns
Injuries & Off-Field: Battled a leg injury in 2020, suspended by Clemson for violating team rules for the first half against Georgia (2021) and held back in other contests, there may be some concerns surrounding his inability to find stability with a program over the past few seasons
Awards: N/A
Pros: No fumbles in any season but 2019, has the speed to win the edge, he got open on routes at several levels in 2021 but the QB didn’t throw it to him, excellent lateral mobility, bounces between gaps effortlessly, very good speed but not a true home run hitter, feet are springy, stop-start agility is well above average, experienced on the kick return unit, acceleration and burst gives him easy access to the third level, acceleration and burst also eliminate angles for many defensive backs, loose lower half, open field cuts make defenders look silly, makes defenders miss in the hole, he’s a big play waiting to happen, better contact balance and play strength than you would expect, very shifty
Cons: Fumbled three times in 2019, never handled a starting workload, minimal experience in the slot, ducks his head into contact in pass pro or just throws a shoulder, lacks the mass to consistently sustain blocks, doesn’t attempt to halt the second effort of a pass rusher, small and light frame, needs to be more involved as a pass catcher at his size, maturity concerns
Overview: Dixon is unofficially listed at 5'10", 195 lbs. He forced a missed tackle on 41.9% of his carries as a freshman and turned 25.8% of his attempts into plays of ten or more yards. That number stayed fairly high in 2019 (23.1%). For comparison, Travis Etienne produced plays of ten or more yards on 21.6% of his carries in 2018 and 22.7% in 2019. Dixon is a big play waiting to happen. He has the burst and acceleration to leave defenders chewing dust. I don’t think I’ve watched a running back this cycle who spent more time running east to west. Usually that’s a bad thing, but Dixon’s loose lower body, high-end stop-start agility, and that combination of acceleration and burst turned him into a weapon capable of pulling off runs most players can’t dream of making. Dixon has the agility and shiftiness to make defenders miss in the hole. He even displayed better play strength and contact balance than you would expect for a player with his frame. Dixon struggles in pass protection because of his size and poor technique. The Georgia native wasn’t very involved in the passing game at Clemson, but he has the profile to be proficient in that area at the next level.
Overall, there’s a black cloud hanging over Dixon’s head. He would have a shot to be a late Day 2 pick based on his 2018 and 2019 tape, but injuries in 2020 and his eventual exit from Clemson tanked his stock. His spurning of West Virginia raises even more questions as Dixon currently doesn’t have a home for the 2022 season. This is a tremendously gifted back with rare agility and acceleration, but it’s hard to project him as a draftable player when we don’t know if he’ll play college football this year.
Role & Scheme Fit: Change of pace back with three down potential in a zone scheme
Round Projection: Mid Sixth to UDFA
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 07-22-22