It's one thing to replace a star, but it's an entirely different thing to succeed him without having much of a chance to get your feet wet while he was still around.
That is the exact tunnel Bri'onte Dunn, Mike Weber, Antonio Williams and quite possibly Curtis Samuel much trudge their way through as they enter the 2016 football season at Ohio State.
“If we need to mix and match and move guys around accordingly then that’s what we’ll do, but a lot of that is going to play itself out as we move through this spring football practice come March and April.”– Tony Alford
Williams is a true freshman who enrolled in January to get a head start and join spring practice with the Buckeyes. Dunn is a fifth-year senior with 48 career carries to his name, mainly a special teams contributor last season. Weber redshirted after he injured his knee in fall camp last August. And Samuel, the multi-talented junior could better be served at H-back or wide receiver within Urban Meyer's offense. He did a bit of everything in 2015, so it remains unclear where he'll fit in come September for the season opener. Samuel also might be held out of spring practice after undergoing foot surgery in January.
Aside from Williams, however, all sat behind the 2015 Big Ten Player of the Year Ezekiel Elliott, arguably the most complete back in the country a year ago.
Elliott was the heartbeat to a Buckeye offense that struggled until the latter portions of the season. There's a reason he's projected to be the first running back taken in the 2016 NFL Draft in late April, even ahead of Heisman Trophy winner and Alabama's Derrick Henry.
"(No.) 15, he’s pretty good," running backs coach Tony Alford said Jan. 7. "That was working to a large degree so we were able to kind of ride that a little bit. Some people say we should have done this more, done that more, it is what it is and we are where we are at.
"Like coach said, we’re going to try and be more balanced but I would say that’s probably why because we had a guy that we believe — and we’re obviously biased — that’s one of the best in the country in Zeke Elliott."
Elliott's numbers indicate all you need to know with regards to his importance in Ohio State's success last year. He rushed for 1,821 yards on 289 carries and scored 23 touchdowns, the straw that stirred the drink and kept Ohio State in the win column for 10 games while Meyer yo-yoed J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones at quarterback.
Elliott is on to the NFL, leaving behind a strong legacy. Who's next?
Alford wouldn't rule out the running back situation being a by committee approach in 2016 until one player separated himself above the others, but even that might not happen.
Dunn waited his turn first behind Carlos Hyde and then Elliott, initially unwilling to do the necessary work on special teams that Meyer demands to earn carries. The clock is quickly ticking on his career.
Is it finally Bri'onte Dunn's time?
Word buzzed throughout camp last year about Weber making strides as a true freshman, before he tore his meniscus and presumptively fell behind in his development. A massive commitment from Cass Tech High School in Detroit, Weber is supremely talented and earned the nickname "Baby 'Los" for his smashing running style while still being light on his feet. It is an homage to Hyde, but his redshirt deprived him from hitting the field once in 2015.
It isn't like Dunn, Weber or Samuel lacked the talent to play in 2015 — they just sat behind a monster who deserved every carry he received and then some.
"As far as running backs go, we might have some guys like Mike Weber, Bri’onte Dunn, Warren Ball and it’s like, ‘Gosh, he must not be any good he’s not playing,’" Alford said. "No, Bri’onte is really good, exceptionally talented, but he’s sitting behind this guy. This is what’s working right now so there’s no need to prep a Mike Weber into something if we don’t have to."
That time is now, however, with Elliott gone. Weber, Dunn, Williams — they all will be in camp thirsting for touches. No one will replicate what Elliott did in 2015 for Ohio State — it just simply isn't in the cards. But they are talented enough to each bring something unique to the table.
"Mikey Weber and Bri'onte Dunn, Curtis Samuel, instead of being a guy second to someone, he and Dontre (Wilson) gotta take charge," Meyer said.
The head coach indicated Wilson — a senior finally healthy from his foot injury — will be involved in the running game as well in 2016. That could come on outside runs or jet sweeps. Samuel could be used in a similar breath. There are a host of new faces on offense all trying to find roles.
Barrett will be heavily involved in the run game, too. He's too lethal with his legs for Meyer and Ed Warinner to take that option out completely. But keeping him healthy will be essential while the backup quarterback situation is ironed out.
How do you do that? Give touches to other players. None of them are Elliott, but they're capable.
Now is the time for that to show.
"Right now, there’s no preconceived this guy is ahead of anyone else. We’re just going to go to work every day and see how it all comes out," Alford said. "If we need to mix and match and move guys around accordingly then that’s what we’ll do, but a lot of that is going to play itself out as we move through this spring football practice come March and April."
