Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes running backs

The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units and coaching staff at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived, and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. We’re continuing our positional weeks with a group that’s full of talent and potential: running back.

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COLUMBUS — Ohio State was without two of its running backs in spring practice.

TreVeyon Henderson, the unquestioned top back on the roster, missed nearly all of spring camp after undergoing offseason surgery. Third-year back Evan Pryor was also out for spring.

And senior Miyan Williams was in and out of practice during spring for the Buckeyes, leaving just Dallan Hayden and Chip Trayanum as the main two contributors in March and April.

So instead of trying to sort out a pecking order during those two months of practice, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford dedicated those 15 sessions to building depth.

“Right now, I’m just trying to build depth,” Alford said. “Because we want to guys that are three-down players and everybody can do everything. Obviously, as you move through things, some guys are going to be better than others and certain things, but right now it’s just really training guys to do everything that we do to the best of their abilities and enhance them wherever we can enhance them. We haven’t started putting packages together. … Those haven’t been put together. But as we get into the summer, in the fall, we’ll do those.”

Lettermen Row is in the early stages of Running Backs Week, a weeklong series that will dive deep into the room, the contenders for carries and much, much more. Let’s get it started with a basic primer, going through just who these five running backs are — and why they might deserve carries come September.

Fourth-year running back Miyan Williams

Height: 5-foot-9

Weight: 225 pounds

High school: Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio)

On3 Industry Ranking: Williams was the No. 678 overall player in the country, the No. 66 running back and No. 20 player in Ohio in the class of 2020.

Picked Buckeyes over: Williams flipped his commitment from Iowa State to Ohio State a month before National Signing Day.

Ohio State stats: Williams has 209 carries for 1,397 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, along with 14 catches for 101 yards during his time at Ohio State.

Biggest strength: Wiggle. When Miyan Williams gets into the open field, he can shake off defenders and make moves to gain yardage. He has a knack for being a bowling ball when he has the football in his hands.

Fourth-year running back Chip Trayanum

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 230 pounds

High school: Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio)

On3 Industry Ranking: Trayanum was the No. 285 overall player in the country, the No. 28 running back and No. 5 player in Ohio in the class of 2020.

Picked Buckeyes over: Trayanum originally went to Arizona State as a running back. He played two seasons with the Sun Devils before transferring to Ohio State to play linebacker, but he has since made the switch back to running back.

Ohio State stats: Trayanum has 15 carries for 92 yards, along with one catch for 14 yards during his time at Ohio State.

Biggest strength: Burst. At 230 pound, the common assumption would be that Trayanum is a powerful back. And although he does have some power to his game, Trayanum is quick to hit the hole and find green grass, as he showed in spring practice and in the spring game. His burst is what could earn him carries this fall.

Third-year running back TreVeyon Henderson

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 214 pounds

High school: Hopewell (Hopewell, Virginia)

On3 Ranking: Henderson was the No. 20 overall player, No. 1 running back, and No. 1 player in Virginia.

On3 Industry Ranking: Henderson was the No. 19 overall player in the country, the No. 1 running back and No. 1 player in Virginia in the class of 2021.

Picked Buckeyes over: Michigan, Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia and nearly every other major program in the country

Career stats: Henderson has 290 carries for 1,819 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, along with 31 catches for 340 yards and five touchdowns receiving during his time at Ohio State.

Biggest strength: Everything. When healthy, TreVeyon Henderson is one of the best running backs in the country. Period. He showed it during his freshman year, when he ran for more than 1,200 yards and took over as the unquestioned starting running back. If he stays healthy, he can do it all for Ohio State.

Third-year running back Evan Pryor

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 198 pounds

High school: William Amos Hough (Cornelius, North Carolina)

On3 Ranking: Pryor was the No. 110 overall player, No. 7 running back, and No. 7 player in North Carolina.

On3 Industry Ranking: Pryor was the No. 92 overall player in the country, the No. 6 running back and No. 5 player in North Carolina in the class of 2021.

Picked Buckeyes over: Pryor picked Ohio State over North Carolina, but also Georgia, Penn State and Oklahoma among his 35 offers

Career stats: Pryor has 21 carries for 98 yards and a rushing touchdown, along with two catches for 8 yards in his Ohio State career.

Biggest strength: Home-run ability. Before his injury last August, which sidelined him for the entire season, Pryor was gaining steam as a good change of pace and gadget for the Ohio State offense. If he can return to that form, he’ll give the Buckeyes home-run ability as a speedster from the backfield.

Second-year running back Dallan Hayden

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 187 pounds

High school: Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tennessee)

On3 Ranking: Hayden was the No. 246 overall player, No. 19 tight end, and No. 7 player in Tennessee.

On3 Industry Ranking: Hayden was the No. 21 running back and No. 10 player in Tennessee in the class of 2022.

Picked Buckeyes over: Illinois, where his brother played, and Tennessee, where his father played

Career stats: Hayden has 111 carries for 553 yards and five rushing touchdowns, along with four catches for 23 yards in his Ohio State career.

Biggest strength: Hayden showed an ability last year to learn quickly and find a role without much of a buildup. He was able to hit the hole and go, earning tough yards down the stretch. So far, that’s his strength: quick learning. He can only add to it from here.