COLUMBUS — Dallan Hayden wasn't a five-star high school running back recruit.

He wasn't a player that Ohio State fans were clamoring for or hyping up once he picked the Buckeyes over Notre Dame, Tennessee and others.

Hayden didn't arrive on campus with fanfare and press conferences like the early-enrollees who landed in Columbus this past January did. He snuck onto campus in June, one of just a handful of signees who weren't able to enroll early.

And now, in one of the season's most unexpected twists, Dallan Hayden finds himself in a position no one -- including Hayden himself -- believed he'd be in. As Ohio State heads to Maryland for the second-to-last regular season game of the 2022 season, he's likely to be the Buckeyes starting running back. He admitted, speaking with the media on Wednesday night, that he didn't truly even feel comfortable with the Ohio State offense until a week or two before the season began.

"I'd probably say Mid-August," Hayden said. "All camp I did pretty well coming in as a summer guy, but I probably didn't get comfortable honestly until mid-August.

"It was kind of hard for me to learn the plays at first. But now I'm just getting down. Go home, study almost every night."

Tony Alford was a big fan of Hayden's in the recruiting process. He was the country's No. 16-ranked tailback but as he said, he arrived "late" and that fact, coupled with the fact that he came into Ohio State looking up a depth chart that included Miyan Williams, Treveyon Henderson and Evan Pryor ahead of him, provided Hayden a chance to be less-than-aggressive with his preparation when he got to town.

That changed quickly as Alford continued with a prophetic message: You're only a couple of plays away from being very important.

Pryor is out for the season. Henderson and Williams have taken turns on the injured list, seemingly swapping their position every week. Even preferred walk-on T.C. Caffey -- who was pushing to be the Buckeyes No. 4 running back and could've been used to make sure Hayden took a redshirt this season -- is now out for the year.

Ready or not Dallan Hayden, you're up.

"Things happen," Hayden said. "That's why Coach Alford stressed to me the importance of 'You have to be ready. You never know when your number will be called.' It happened to be this year so I just felt like I needed to do what I needed to do."

No. 5 has been called a lot more than expected this season. Hayden is third on the Buckeyes roster with 73 carries. If things go as expected this weekend at Maryland he'll get close to passing Treveyon Henderson on that list. He's not just plodding along either, he's average almost five yards per attempt and has already put together two 100-yard games as a freshman.

Hayden has changed the way he viewed his opportunity and the way he's handled his opportunities has changed the way he's viewed.

And depending on the health of Williams and Henderson -- which is still up in the air -- Hayden may have a chance to stand centerstage in what Ohio State hopes is another playoff run.

"I feel like I'm ready," Hayden said. "I practice hard. I take coaching from Coach Alford ... I listen to everything he says.

"The more reps I got, I get more comfortable. I feel like it's coming to me now."

Hayden, who many believed would be nearly anonymous this season, has made sure people know who he is.

The next two weeks could give him a chance to make sure no one forgets his name.