New RBS coach ‘a man of his word’

Carlos Locklyn did not take long to make his impression on the Ohio State football program.

Days after joining Ryan Day’s staff as the team’s new running backs coach, Locklyn, the former Oregon running backs coach, has already been active on the recruiting trail by extending offers to two 2025 running backs: fourstar Dierre Hill and three-star Shekai Mills-knight.

For Hill, Locklyn was not a new voice, having earned an offer from Oregon after his freshman season at Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Illinois. Now, heading into his senior season, Hill is the No. 104 player and ninth-ranked running back in the 2025 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings and is holding offers from programs around the country.

Hill said Locklyn is what helped make Oregon a contender in his recruitment, a program Hill still calls a “great organization and program” after the running back coach’s departure. But Locklyn is what makes Hill excited to check out Ohio State.

“Coach (Locklyn) plays a big part and we have a great relationship,” Hill told The Dispatch. “One thing about coach Lock, he doesn’t recruit. He builds relationships with his guys. He calls them his ‘Lock Boys.’”

Hill said Locklyn kept him “in the loop” about his move from Ohio State to Oregon.

“He’s a man of his word,” Hill said. “He’s true to himself. That’s two of the biggest things about him. He’s never going to tell me anything wrong. He’s going to give me the full honest truth And he’s always done that, and he still does that even with him transitioning over to Ohio State. He’s always been 100. He’s always been positive and honest with me.”

Locklyn’s approach is the same on the field, Hill said, describing Locklyn as “passionate.”

“He demands respect in the right way, you know what I mean?” Hill said. “He’s just a very hard coach and a lot of guys I feel like would play for him just because he’s a hard coach and he knows what to do to get you to the next level.”

As a junior at Althoff Catholic, Hill had 1,788 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns, per 247Sports.

While Locklyn moved programs, Hill said Locklyn’s opinion of him never changed, saying “he believes I could be there with him and we could do great things.” But even with Locklyn in place, Hill said he still felt the weight of the Ohio State offer.

“Now that they are in the conversation now, it’s a lot