NFL 2010 Draft Profile: Jahvid Best (Califorina) RB

Over the past few years the University of California has had their fair share of successful Running Backs, with Marshawn Lynch and J.J. Arrington being two who found their way onto NFL rosters. Yet when it is all said and done, it may be Jahvid Best who ends up as the greatest California Running Back of all-time.

Last year Best began to make good on the promised he showed as a Bay Area record setting back when he played at Salesian High School in Richmond California. A prep star in track who ran the 100 meters in an electrifying 10.39 as a Junior, Best turned scout's heads on the football field as well with a Senior season which saw him rush for 3,325 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Passing up perennial powerhouses such as Michigan, Notre Dame and USC to play for California, Best got only marginal play time as a true freshman, gaining just 395 yards from scrimmage. Still, he showed enough promise on the field to earn the team's Most Valuable Freshman and Most Valuable Special Teams Player Awards, setting the stage for what was to be a stellar Sophomore season.

Starting the season as the Bear's featured back, Best opened the 2009 season with a 111 yards rushing performance against Michigan State, before breaking out a 200 yard, 3 touchdown performance against Washington State a week later. In that game the speedy back took the first play from scrimmage 80 yards for a touchdown. Jahvid would come back in the third quarter and break an equally impressive 86 yard run for his third score of the game.

He would go on to have success the rest of the year, saving his best performance for the last two games of the season, a 311 yard, TD performance against Washington, and a 186 yard rushing performance against the Miami Hurricanes in the Emerald Bowl. Best would finish his Sophomore year with an impressive 1,580 yards rushing on just 194 carries, good for an eye-popping 8.1 yards per carry.

His 2009 performance has made the 20 year old runner a pre-season Heisman Trophy favorite this season. If he continues were he left off last season there is also a good chance that Jahvid could bolt for the NFL following his Junior year. Though at 5-10, 195 lbs, he has a slight frame by NFL standards, Best has the explosive speed and quickness that NFL teams covet. What's more, he has shown the versatility to be a top flight return man and receiver as well. If he is able to bulk up without losing speed, look for Best to start climbing on team's Draft Board this season.