From Gresham to the Gridiron: Jobi Malary’s Unexpected Oregon Homecoming with James Madison
Two years ago, Jobi Malary thought he’d played his final down of football in Oregon. A standout at Barlow High School and later Portland State, the Gresham native packed his bags and headed east to James Madison University in Virginia, chasing a fresh start and one last shot to prove himself.
Now, in a twist only college football could script, Malary is coming home - not just to visit, but to play on one of the biggest stages of his career.
On Saturday, Malary and the No. 12 James Madison Dukes (12-1) will take the field at Autzen Stadium to face No.
5 Oregon (11-1) in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. For Malary, it’s more than a playoff debut - it’s a full-circle moment.
“I’m very excited for this game, it being our first playoff game,” Malary said. “And having it be back in my home state is not something that I would have thought would happen to me. But here we are.”
A Long Road From Gresham
Malary’s journey to this point has been anything but conventional. A dominant force at Barlow, he earned Mt.
Hood Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2018 and was named second-team All-State. But despite his production, scholarship offers didn’t come.
So he bet on himself, walking on at Portland State. After redshirting in 2019, he made his debut in the season finale - and made it count. Malary racked up 93 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries in a shootout loss at Eastern Washington, a performance that earned him a scholarship.
But just as things were starting to click, the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, and a season-ending injury in 2021 delayed his progress again.
It wasn’t until 2022 that Malary finally got a chance to show what he could do. That year, he rushed for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and followed it up with 676 yards and 12 scores in 2023. After five years in the program, though, he knew it was time for a new challenge.
“I just kind of felt like my time there was up at PSU,” Malary said. “So, I was just kind of really betting on myself to go somewhere else.”
The JMU Leap of Faith
Once again, Malary entered the unknown without a scholarship. But James Madison - rebuilding under new head coach Bob Chesney - saw something in him.
Chesney had inherited a program stripped of depth after Curt Cignetti took 13 transfers with him to Indiana. He needed experienced players, and Malary fit the bill.
“They gave me the shot I was looking for,” Malary said.
There was just one catch: he didn’t realize James Madison was nearly 3,000 miles from home.
“I did not think I would end up out here,” he said with a laugh.
But that was the point. Malary wanted to push himself - not just as a player, but as a person.
Leaving Oregon, his family, and everything familiar was part of the growth process. And his family was all in.
“We didn’t think anything of it,” said his mom, Josette. “He wanted to transfer. We were okay for him to do whatever he wants to do to continue to play football.”
In 2024, Malary appeared in all 13 games, grinding out 269 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries. His breakout came in a double-overtime thriller against Marshall, where he ran for 106 yards and a score in a 35-33 win.
After the Dukes capped the season with a 27-17 win over Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl, Malary’s perseverance was rewarded - he was placed on scholarship.
“It’s one of the better decisions that I’ve ever made for myself,” Malary said. “Not the easiest one, but definitely something that was needed.”
A Backfield Workhorse
Malary’s role continued to grow. This season, he’s rushed for 343 yards and four touchdowns, including a 105-yard, three-touchdown performance in a 58-10 rout of Appalachian State. He followed that up with 154 yards and a score against Coastal Carolina.
Head coach Bob Chesney didn’t mince words about what Malary brings to the offense.
“He’s a positive, smart, physical running back who runs hard downhill, never lets his legs stop moving, and plays behind great pad level,” Chesney said. “We found ourselves later in the year having to go to him, and I think every time he becomes the premier back, he’s over 100, easily. He’s just a really, really good football player.”
Autzen Awaits
Now, Malary returns to Oregon - not as a visitor, but as a key contributor in a College Football Playoff matchup against one of the nation’s top teams. Around 10 family members and friends will be in the stands at Autzen Stadium, including his mom, dad Jean, and sister Willjah.
“I don’t have to travel, which is very exciting,” Josette said, smiling.
The family had just flown back from the Sun Belt title game when they started hoping for a playoff berth. Watching the ACC Championship Game, they knew a Duke win over Virginia could open the door. The Blue Devils delivered, and soon after, the Dukes were officially in.
Malary had a hunch Oregon might be the destination, but didn’t let himself get too excited until it was locked in.
“I’m one of those people where I have to see to really believe it,” he said. “It really hit me once we found out that we were in the playoffs.”
James Madison enters the game as a heavy underdog, but Malary isn’t fazed by what the oddsmakers say.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I know what’s being said.
I know what the numbers on paper are. And frankly, I don’t really care about that.
At the end of the day, you still got to play the game. And I think that’s what some people forget about.”
One More Game, One More Moment
No matter how Saturday plays out, Malary is soaking in every second. It’s not just another game - it’s a return to where it all started, with a team that believed in him when few others did.
“I’m excited for the game, I’m ready for it,” he said. “And I’m happy that I’m doing it with the guys that are coming on this trip, and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
**No. 12 James Madison (12-1) at No.
5 Oregon (11-1)**
When: Saturday, Dec.
20
Time: 4:30 p.m.
PT
Where: Autzen Stadium
TV: TNT / HBO Max
Streaming: Available locally via DIRECTV, Fubo, or Sling (availability may vary by region)