Few players have kicked off a season like Ethan Dolby has in 2025. Recording 11 touchdowns and 858 rushing yards in just five games, he has put up video-game numbers to lead Western to a 5-0 start.
With stats like these, it’s no surprise the discussion over Canada’s “Running Back U” has returned to online discourse.
Recently, Canadian football writer and Western football alum Alex McComb called his alma mater, Canada’s “RB U", sparking an online debate about which school dominates the ground game. For Dolby, the answer is clear and his play has quickly silenced the doubters.
OB.SESSED caught up with the St. Thomas, Ont. native to discuss his early-season success, professional aspirations, and the culture of running back excellence at Western.
Early Season Success
While it may be his name in the headlines, Ethan Dolby emphasizes that every big play is built on the support of his teammates and the key role they play in his success.
“My early season success comes from my O-line and wide receiver blocking, especially in that last game against Carleton. I barely got touched in a couple of my touchdowns.” said Dolby.
He added that the coaching staff and leadership behind the scenes have been just as important as the on-field execution.
“The coaches have great schemes in every game too. They help make sure we're running the right plays in the right situations, and that's how you get those explosive plays.”
Coming back from an injury, Dolby admitted it took some time to find his rhythm. But once he adjusted, he hasn’t looked back.
“After the first game against Queens, I got my feet under myself coming back from an injury, so I feel like I've been just getting better from there on out. “
RB U
Before stepping into the starting role, Dolby had the chance to learn from some of the Western greats in the backfield — Keanu Yazbeck, Keon Edwards, and Edouard Wanadi.
“They're great vets. I've spent a lot of time with them in and out of football. I mean, even Edouard Wanadi, in my first year in 2022, he was a good vet as well.” said Dolby.
“Learning under them for three years, watching them play, watching their film on game days helped a lot. Now Keon is my coach. So I'm getting even more coaching tips from him.”
Having veterans to learn from early on gave Dolby a foundation to grow with, but he explained the culture of the running back room has pushed him to another level.
“It's been a great pleasure to be a Mustang running back, there's always going to be a competitive running back room. Which creates some friendly competition and makes you always want to be your best, every day and every night.”
That competition meant reps were hard to come by initially, though Dolby said the experience prepared him for this season.
“In my last couple years, I wasn't seeing a lot of reps because Keanu and Keon are great running backs, but they knew their time was coming to an end. So I saw more reps at the end of last season to prepare me more for this season, which truly helped.”
With more opportunities, Dolby built confidence in himself and strengthened the trust of his teammates.
“I've built great trust with the O-line and fullbacks. They knew I could step up in a big way.” said Dolby.
This has allowed Western’s running game to exceed expectations in 2025.
“Everyone had their thoughts about what was actually going to happen, but I think we knew from the start that we were going to do something crazy.”
Professional Goals
Similar to many top U SPORTS athletes, Dolby has aspirations to take his game to the next level.
“I've been thinking about this a lot, and I was talking to Keanu yesterday about playing professionally, and the CFL was always a goal of mine when I was younger. It'd be nice to see my dreams come true.”
Even a short stint at the pro level would hold significant meaning. Just three former U SPORTS running backs (Montreal's Sean Thomas Erlington, Winnipeg' Matthew Peterson, and Hamilton's Johnny Augustine) are among the CFL's top 25 rushing leaders as of the end of September.
“I mean, even if I played professionally for a couple of years, I'm not asking for a long professional career, but just to say I did it and to see all my hard work get paid off with a good reward, I'd be glad if I could do that.”
Still, Dolby knows there’s work to be done before that dream can become a reality.
“I still have a ways to go. I still have a couple more years of eligibility and this is my East-West year, and my combine year is next year. So I just have to keep playing well. I think I have a chance, and it should be fun.”
Upcoming Schedule
As the regular season meets it's midway point, Dolby and the Mustangs know they need to take it game by game.
“Mainly, we're just trying to win our remaining games first and foremost. We have homecoming coming up, and we play Windsor and York shortly after. So it's week by week.”
But at the end of the day, OUA fans know it'll come down to a week nine meeting with the defending Yates Cup champions, the Laurier Golden Hawks.
“Obviously, we do have Laurier marked on the schedule. It'll be a playoff game for sure. We'll need to win that game to get the bye, which will be huge for team morale. So we are slowly preparing for that game as well.”
For now, the Mustangs know their team can’t get ahead of themselves. The focus remains on winning one game at a time.
Dolby’s rise to stardom this season reflects much more than just his talent. It's a product of hard work, valuable mentorship, and a standard of excellence at Western.
While his eyes are set on professional aspirations, Dolby continues to focus on the present, taking a week by week approach and helping his team position themselves for another Yates Cup run.
With his combination of talent and work ethic, Dolby is living up to the “RB U” tradition at Western. This season, his performances proves that “RB U” is more than just a nickname — it’s a standard. One that Dolby continues to raise.