You’ve surely seen the highlight packages.
Percy Harvin — at Florida, in an Urban Meyer offense — gliding through defenses making defenders look silly. Harvin had a way of single-handedly swinging the momentum of a game with one play. He was that special.
Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps soon followed with similar plays, though to a lesser degree. There was a common thread, though: All were able to change games from the H-back position in Meyer’s offense with the Gators.
“At Florida, H-back kind of became the Cadillac position,” Meyer said recently at Big Ten Media Days.
For whatever reason, that hasn’t quite happened yet through Meyer’s four years at Ohio State, though. Sure, Braxton Miller’s famed spin move at Virginia Tech was one of college football’s most electrifying plays last season, but the overall production from the position pales in comparison to Meyer’s time at Florida.
Miller and Curtis Samuel — the Buckeyes’ two primary H-backs last season — combined for 392 rushing yards, 630 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns in 2015. By comparison, Harvin alone eclipsed those marks by himself twice at Florida with 1,622 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in 2007 and 1,304 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns in 2008.
Meyer said the dip in production mostly stems from the fact he did not have running backs the caliber of Carlos Hyde or Ezekiel Elliott during his time with the Gators and, as a result, the position has not been featured yet at Ohio State like it was at Florida. But the Buckeyes’ expected starter at the running back spot this season, Mike Weber, is unproven and because of that, Meyer said he hopes to utilize the H-position like he has previously in his coaching career.
Samuel and senior Dontre Wilson are the two primary candidates for the spot, and while it would be unfair to compare either to Harvin, both have the capability to become big playmakers for Ohio State this fall.
“I see a lot of yards between those two guys,” Meyer said.
Wilson’s up-and-down career has reached its final chapter. A once highly-touted recruit out of DeSoto, Texas, Wilson’s first three years at Ohio State have been hampered by nagging injuries. Meyer feels confident Wilson’s final season for the Buckeyes can be a productive one, however.
“He’s 198 pounds, he’s strong, he’s very focused,” Meyer said. “I like Dontre, he’s just been banged up. He has to stay healthy, but every injury, it’s not because of a lack of effort. He’s got to stay healthy and I think he’s prepared body-wise to stay healthy.”
Samuel’s production from the H-position will be dependent on how much time he gets at that spot. With Ohio State’s dismissal of Bri’onte Dunn, Samuel will get some additional snaps at running back with Weber. He’s a player Meyer called “one of the top two or three playmakers on the team,” so Samuel should be seeing plenty of action this fall, no matter the position.
“I know Curtis Samuel is going to get the ball. Curtis Samuel needs to get the ball and it doesn’t matter how he gets it,” Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said. “He’s one of the most dynamic players on our team and he needs the ball in his hands. Whether it be running back, H, punt return, kickoff, I really don’t care as long as Curtis Samuel touches the ball.”
The production from Meyer’s most infamous position may never match what it was at Florida; after all, Harvin was as special a player as college football saw in the last decade. But the Buckeyes will certainly look for an increase from the H-back spot this fall.
