'Pork Chop' Miyan Williams pushing for meaty backfield role with Buckeyes

COLUMBUS — Miyan Williams could do without the nicknames — especially the wrong ones.

The second-year running back has been referred to as a bowling ball and a meatball since arriving at Ohio State as an underrated three-star recruit last year.

“I don’t like the [Meatball] name,” Williams said “I’d rather be called ‘Chop.’ [Former Buckeyes linebacker] Baron Browning, he gave me the name last year. Started calling me Pork Chop.”

He may not have to worry much longer about what people call him. With a few more impressive showings in training camp, he might just earn a new name: Starting running back.

Williams has been taking first-team reps for the Buckeyes throughout camp as they barrel toward the season opener against Minnesota. But right now, he’s not worried about nicknames or which group he’s receiving carries with on offense. Miyan Williams is just locked in on the next day on the practice schedule.

“I mean, it’s cool,” Williams said. “But I don’t really try to worry about that so much. I just try to focus on getting better and getting my teammates better.”

Williams wasn’t expected to have just one year of development evolve into a shot at a starting gig. He was the lowest-ranked recruit in a running back room that features incredibly talented players throughout. He was even viewed by some as a backup plan in the 2020 recruiting class after the Buckeyes swung and missed on three different highly-ranked players.

Williams has carried those notions and assumptions with him through 14 months with the Buckeyes. He began to flash during last season, momentum that culminated into three impressive rushing attempts for 21 yards in the Sugar Bowl win over Clemson.

“Miyan has worked really, really hard,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “If you look at his body right now, it’s hard. He looks strong out there. He worked really, really hard in the weight room. When he had an opportunity last year, he did a good job with a couple of the runs, certainly the big run against Clemson that he had. But we’ll still wait to see how it goes. I thought his pass protection in the spring was excellent. You have to keep building on that.

“For a guy who is a little bit under the radar coming in, he’s made a big impact.”

Williams was always a soft-spoken hard-worker. But he elevated that this summer in the weight room, shedding weight and making sure he was in better shape than last year.

The folks in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center certainly noticed the traits that separate him from other players vying to be the bell cow in the backfield.

“Just the way prepares,” Buckeyes running back coach Tony Alford said. “He prepares like a pro. He doesn’t get flustered. He’s never too high, never too low, good or bad. Things will happen within a matter of practices or meetings, he’s a pretty even-keeled guy, brings great energy every single day. He’s very serious about this game.

“And he doesn’t make many mistakes.”

With four other talented backs all gunning for reps at the front of the running back line, Williams remains one of the top options. Just a year after being an underrated player in a loaded recruiting class, he’s already becoming a factor on the roster.

And he’s not likely to forget what has motivated him to nearly reach the peak of the depth chart so quickly.

“Coming in, I felt like I was overlooked a lot,” he said. “I just felt like I had a point to prove. I gotta prove it.”

As Ohio State continues its buildup to Sept. 2 at Minnesota, Miyan Williams might hear his name with the first unit.

Call him the starting running back. Just don’t call him Meatball.