Ohio State distributing reps at running back ‘pretty evenly’ during camp

COLUMBUS -- The rush for greatness doesn’t slow by any means year in and year out for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State’s offense ranked atop college football last season while boasting several first-round NFL draft picks and dynamic playmakers within its deep position rooms, averaging 561.5 yards per game. Sophomore TreVeyon Henderson figures to start at running back in 2022, and junior Miyan Williams and redshirt freshman Evan Pryor will file right behind him.

Perhaps similar to the offense in general, Williams said Friday that he thinks Buckeye running backs will “keep the train rolling” and continue to uphold their standard no matter who’s on the field.

“I feel like it's going to be like somebody come out, somebody come back in,” Williams said. “Just keep the train rolling. That's how I feel it's going to be.”

Head coach Ryan Day and Ohio State promoted running backs coach Tony Alford to run game coordinator over the offseason, allowing Alford a greater role in the Buckeye offense.

Last season, Williams started the first two games at Minnesota and against Oregon before Henderson earned the nod for the remaining 11 outings, which led to his Freshman All-American recognition and a spot on the Second Team All-Big Ten.

Alford said it’s difficult to gauge where the Buckeyes are without practicing in pads, however, he still expects the running back room to shake out how it may.

“Right now, pretty much the reps are being distributed pretty evenly right now through day two,” Alford said. “That’ll play itself out. Those guys all deserve to play so I got to make sure that they’re all ready to play because they all have shown the capacity and ability to play winning football here for Ohio State.”

Day said Thursday that “there’ll be plenty of reps to go around” for Buckeye ball-carriers in the lead up to the regular season.

“I told those guys like, 'Let your reps speak for you. Don't start worrying about where you are in terms of depth chart, what reps am I getting?’” Day said. “You're going to get plenty of reps in the preseason — make sure you make them count.”

Ohio State also welcomes four-star prospect Dallan Hayden to its running backs room. Alford said Hayden has spent time getting familiar with the Buckeye offense, and will add necessary depth he believes will return results.

Over the last two seasons, Williams showed he’s dependable in the backfield, barreling downfield for a season-long 15 yards against No. 2 Clemson in the 2020 Sugar Bowl before totaling 508 rushing yards and three touchdowns a year ago.

Pryor played in four games last season, running for 98 yards and scoring for the first time in his Buckeye career against Akron Week 4.

Despite redshirting during his debut campaign, Pryor said he feels confident to carry the football no matter the situation on the field, even against a team like Notre Dame in a highly touted season-opener.

“That's why we go so hard in practice to prepare and meet like this so when we get to the game September 3, you put me in there, it feels like practice,” Pryor said. “I got 1,000% confidence.”

Henderson exceeded his 2021 Rivals Top 100 billing and expectations upon his arrival to Ohio State in 2021. He broke several program freshman rushing records, including the mark for touchdowns by a first-year with 19, which broke Maurice Clarett’s previous record originally set in 2002.

After carrying the ball a season-high 28 times for 152 yards and a touchdown against Penn State Week 9, Henderson’s production dipped from his early-season pace. He averaged 5.3 yards per attempt in the final five games last season after recording nearly eight yards each carry across his first eight games.

Henderson said he wasn’t surprised by the demands he faced against the Nittany Lions, and he’ll use it to adjust and shoulder the load against tough competition this fall.

“That was a big moment for me, a huge step in my career. I felt like that was the first time I played a whole game, so this year the schedule is pretty tough,” Henderson said. “This year, I feel like we're going to have more teams like Penn State, so I'm ready for that.”

Alford said he’s asked the Buckeye running backs to “make sure they’re being pros” about all aspects of their approach, from meetings to walkthroughs and beyond.

While the Buckeyes begin to ramp up in advance of the 2022 season, their running backs will continue to focus on improving each practice. Alford said the preseason isn’t about distancing one another — the bottom line is winning the football games during the season.

“Quite frankly, I hope there’s not a whole lot of separation. That means we’ve got some really good guys and not one guy is so heads and tails above someone else,” Alford said. “You’d like to be able to have an opportunity to where you have three, four guys that you can throw in and feel comfortable throwing them in at any time.”