Mike Weber was somewhat of a forgotten man this spring.
With Urban Meyer looking to replace seven NFL Draft picks including a trio of 1st round selections, spring ball storylines centered more on trying to determine who would fill empty slots versus thinking about how to extract more from returning commodities.
For Weber, there's much to build on after a solid 2016 campaign in which he led the team in rushing tallying 1,096 yards on a fine 6.0 yards per carry with nine touchdowns.
Though Weber's performance gave Meyer a 1,000 yard rusher for the 5th-straight season, his production slipped as the schedule wore on and all signs point to a continued maturation process leaving him hungry to perform even better this fall.
The Detroit Cass Tech product racked up 182 carries a season ago but averaged just 11.1 totes over the final six outings causing his rushing yards per game to fall to 68.8 over that span. Conversely, in the seven games to open the season, Weber averaged 16.4 carries and 97.6 yards per game on a stellar 7.4 yards per carry.
Weber eclipsed the 100-yard barrier three times in the first four games including a 123-yard effort against Oklahoma but after running for 144 yards a week later against Rutgers, he hit the century mark just one more time as he went for 111 yards in a 17-16 win over Michigan State.
From there however, Weber saw just 11 carries (26 yards) against Michigan and a season-low five carries (24 yards) in the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Clemson.
Despite winning the Thompson-Randle El B1G Freshman of the Year Award after joining only Robert Smith and Maurice Clarett in Buckeye lore as freshmen to rush for at least 1,000 yards, Weber didn't finish strong and if there's one thing that needs to be true when it comes to Ohio State football; the tailback position needs to be one of overwhelming strength.
Weber was frustrated after the Clemson game because of the five touches with his first not coming until midway through the 2nd quarter – and that was definitely problematic – but from there he was his own worst enemy as he fumbled twice, losing one, and it can't be forgotten he dropped an easy 3rd down conversion toss on Ohio State's opening possession of the game.
To his credit, Weber has turned the page on last season and according to his running backs coach, Tony Alford, he's embraced the expectations that come with the position and drastically improved his approach to all aspects of the job including mentoring his younger teammates.
This should be welcome news for Buckeye fans because Ohio State needs an even more productive version of Mike Weber than it received in 2016 as the staff looks to break in a new right guard and a host of receivers in a passing game that was downright anemic at times.
Weber made tremendous strides last year as a pass blocker and showed he can be an effective runner both between the tackles and on the outside. This year, he needs to showcase improved ball security and become a factor as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
| YEAR | RUSHER | YARDS | % OF TEAM TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | M. WEBER | 1,096 | 34.3% (3,188) |
| 2015 | E. ELLIOTT | 1,821 | 57.1% (3,188) |
| 2014 | E. ELLIOTT | 1,878 | 47.3% (3,967) |
| 2013 | C. HYDE | 1,521 | 35.2% (4,321) |
| 2012 | B. MILLER | 1,271 | 43.7% (2,907) |
Last year Weber tallied 23 receptions for 91 yards but eight of those came in one game (Penn State). Over the final six games he recorded just nine more catches. This is not to say Weber needs to become a prolific pass catcher – that's not what this team needs – but with Kevin Wilson bringing a new screen package to town Weber could have an opportunity to make some modest hay on catches out of the backfield.
Being seen as more realistic pass catching threat out of the backfield could even help his ground game production which absolutely has to happen for Ohio State to return to the College Football Playoff.
Yes, Weber reached 1,000 yards last year but his 1,096 yards represent the lowest total of any team-leading rusher during the Meyer era. Similarly, Weber accounting for 34.3% of the team's total rushing yards was the smallest percentage for any Buckeye to lead the squad in rushing since Meyer arrived.
Weber will have some help this year in the form of Demario McCall and J.K. Dobbins but again, Ohio State is at its best when it has a horse at tailback opponents must account for on every play.
The question is whether or not Mike Weber can be the kind of performer where Meyer and Wilson have no choice but to feed him the ball. It will be fun to see if he can achieve such heights.
