Buckeyes look to be loaded at running back in 2023
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Editor’s note: In advance of spring practice at Ohio State, The Dispatch is previewing each of the Buckeyes’ position groups. Previously: Quarterback. Today: Running back.
Injuries took a toll on Ohio State’s running back room last fall.
Treveyon Henderson battled torn ligaments and a broken bone in his left foot, sidelining him for four games during the regular season and requiring surgery by December. The procedure kept him out of the College Football Playoff.
Knee and ankle injuries led Miyan Williams to miss two games and limited his workload of carries.
The Buckeyes were shorthanded in the backfield even before the start of the season. Evan Pryor, who had projected to be No. 3 on the depth chart, suffered a knee injury in a preseason practice that kept him out for the year.
“Injuries happen across the board,” running backs coach Tony Alford said, “but to have that many in the time span that we did, that was uncharted waters for me personally.”
As spring practice opens on March 7, the Buckeyes will not yet be at full strength at running back. Coach Ryan Day mentioned Henderson and Pryor as among players who would be unavailable for the 15 practices that run through the spring game on April 15. Their rehabilitations continue.
Without them, the bulk of the reps will go to Williams, Dallan Hayden and Chip Trayanum, who will remain on offense after switching from linebacker in October.
Scholarship count
5: Williams, Trayanum, Henderson, Pryor, Hayden
Teammates have praised Trayanum’s athleticism since he transferred from Arizona State last winter. Teradja Mitchell, a former linebacker, described him as “one of the most athletic people” to come through Ohio State in recent seasons. It makes him a promising talent in the backfield. After splitting time between running back and linebacker in his first year with the program, Trayanum could now cultivate a larger role on offense as injuries leave more reps to go around.
Coach comment
“The whole deal for me was trying to keep my players in that room and their emotions together, because that’s frustrating. It’s not just frustrating for coaches, it’s frustrating for them. They’re highly competitive guys. For them to not be able to go out and perform the way they’d like to be able to perform, that’s frustrating for them too, so it wasn’t really about me, it was about them.” — Alford on managing injuries in 2022.
Key stat
11: Years since Ohio State last went through a season without a 1,000-yard rusher, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic shortened season in 2020.
Final outlook
While down two scholarship running backs in spring practice, the long-term prognosis for the position remains promising. Alford expects Henderson to “definitely” be ready for workouts come the summer, and Pryor is expected to recover by next season as well. The backfield could become one of the deepest spots on the roster.