As the youngest member of a crowded Ohio State running back room, one thing about Miyan Williams stands out to running backs coach Tony Alford.

“Miyan’s about two-and-a-half feet tall,” Alford joked when asking about his lone true freshman.

In reality, Williams stands 5-foot-8 and is the shortest Buckeye at his position, but runs with a physicality that shows his true potential.

A graduate of Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, Williams was a three-star recruit ranked No. 31 in Ohio by Rivals. He flipped from Iowa State to Ohio State in late November of last year.

Most known so far for his notable weight loss entering the summer, the still-stout Williams has kept the head-down style that gave him 5,823 yards in high school- a number good for No. 31 in OHSAA history.

“Miyan is tough,” Alford said. “I mean he will put his face on you, he’s a high-collision guy. He doesn’t mind contact. Runs hard.”

The lack of height his coach was quick to joke about is actually a trait Williams uses to his advantage when carrying the ball through traffic. What seems like a cartoonish idea actually becomes reality when he runs the ball behind the offensive line.

“The thing is, he’s smaller in stature- an extremely, extremely strong kid- but when he gets up on the line of scrimmage into holes, they’ll lose him,” Alford said. “They can lose sight of him behind all those bigger bodies. People will laugh and say that’s a cliche or that’s not real- no, it’s extremely real. Because they can’t find you.”

The freshman had his black stripe removed on Saturday, part of what Alford said was an important week for Williams.

Experience-wise, the only running back commit from the class of 2020 has a long way to go. He sits behind two seniors, an experienced sophomore in Master Teague, and two players with a year’s worth of experience over him, Steele Chambers and Marcus Crowley.

Alford was quick to say that though Williams “doesn’t say anything,” all of the older players were quick to welcome him to the room and continue to help the underclassman along.

It took an extended amount of time for him to fully grasp the playbook, Alford said, but heading into padded practices, Williams made impressive strides.

“He’s starting to really understand it more,” Alford said. “I’m pleased with him and where he’s going. These kids love him.”

With the experience he'll gain playing alongside and against a group of the most talented, most experienced players in the country, Williams should develop rapidly in his first season- even without much opportunity to see game action.

He’s a true freshman. He’ll have some growing pains. But Williams is the only running back in his class; Ryan Day brought him to Columbus for a reason. The physicality that he has already shown as a first-year college running back is a sign of bigger things to come.

“That all comes with the knowledge of the game and studying the game, so that when the opportunity does present itself you’ve been there and you’ve visualized and put yourself in that moment,” Alford said of the experience necessary to succeed as a running back. "So when it happens you’re able to succeed and produce in a consistent manner. And that’s why we practice every day the way that we practice.”

Alford’s take on his young running back was very straightforward when asked this summer.

“I’m really excited to have Miyan Williams in our room, in our group and as a part of our football team,” Alford said. “I want to make sure that is very clear.”

Now that the pads are on and the preseason is entering its final stages, Williams has made the impact his coach was so excited about.

The future is bright.

“He wants to be a good player and do well, so he’s coming along and I’m pleased we have him here,” Alford said.