Having a star like Ezekiel Elliott toting the football makes things pretty easy if you are a coach. Elliott's speed, tenacity and special ability to make yards when there isn't any room is a rare phenomenon.
When such a great running back is in your program, however, it can be difficult to think of the future at the position. Even though Elliott is not going to be around forever.
Since he is deserving of all the playing time — and needed a lot of the time to win games — younger players sit back, waiting in the wings without getting much, if any, opportunity to cut their teeth in live action.
"Fifteen, he’s pretty good. That was working to a large degree so we were able to kind of ride that a little bit," Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford said Thursday. "Some people say we should have done this more, done that more, it is what it is and we are where we are at."
Elliott is very good, and is readying to hear his name called on the first day of the 2016 NFL Draft in April. There's a reason Urban Meyer and Alford used him the way they did this past season. He broke out for a ridiculous 696 yards and eight touchdowns in Ohio State's three postseason games in 2014 and was in the Heisman Trophy conversation for his junior season.
Elliott's numbers line him up with the best running backs in program history. But now what? Senior Bri'onte Dunn remains, a career backup who contributed mostly on special teams at Ohio State. Highly touted freshman Mike Weber redshirted in 2015 and Curtis Samuel had his touches decrease immensely because of the wealth of talent on offense. He'll likely play a big role this fall, but whether it is at running back remains up in the air.
Ohio State is set to welcome Antonio Williams to campus this week as an early enrollee. There are plenty of worthy candidates to replace Elliott, but they could endure some growing pains early next year due to inexperience built from sitting behind such a dominant horse in 2015.
"I think that will kind of play itself out as we move forward," Alford said. "Zeke was a very unique individual. He was a complete player and is a complete player as far as catching, blocking and running and all those things, but he’s also durable. You’re talking about a guy that played 80 snaps in that last game. An unbelievable competitor and a guy we felt we had to keep on the field as we talked about previous times."
“I don't know. It's open door. We're excited about what we got. Bri'onte's been great as far as selflessness toward the team. Weber is an incredible talent. Got some guys coming in mid-semester too. Got Dontre Wilson, want to get him out of the backfield a little bit.”– Urban Meyer
Elliott wasn't taken out of games until the end, either when the outcome had been decided or his services were no longer needed. Even then, he almost always got his touches and it led to more than 1,800 yards and 23 touchdowns during Ohio State's 12-1 season.
Now that he's gone, the coaching staff is looking at all options to try and fill his massive shoes — and, it knows that could come with some fluid interchanging among the candidates.
"I don't know. It's open door," Meyer said Thursday. "We're excited about what we got. Bri'onte's been great as far as selflessness toward the team. Weber is an incredible talent. Got some guys coming in mid-semester too. Got Dontre Wilson, want to get him out of the backfield a little bit."
Wilson battled injuries the bulk of the season, while Dunn stepped up on special teams in 2015 after lurking in the shadows of inconsistency during his first few years on campus. Weber tore his meniscus in fall camp, but is 100 percent according to Alford and ready to go. Williams will be eager once he gets to Columbus and Samuel is more than deserving of some touches.
It all is setting up for an interesting battle this spring to replace one of the best running backs in program history.
"That will all play itself out and if it’s by committee then that’s what it will be," Alford said. "But as we move forward, like I said, it will play itself out."
