Ohio State's running back pursuit might have just gotten a bit more interesting.
Tony Alford signed J.K. Dobbins back in the recruiting class of 2017, and that obviously worked out quite well for Ohio State. Georgia tailback Trey Sermon was another one of Alford's top targets in that class, and the two of them struck up quite a relationship before the nation's No. 12 tailback ultimately sided with Oklahoma.
The 6-foot, 221-pounder just announced his intentions to move on as a graduate transfer – meaning he will be eligible immediately at his school of choice – and given the state of the Buckeyes' running back room, this one may bear watching closely in the coming weeks and months.
— Trey Sermon (@treyera) March 14, 2020
In three seasons with the Sooners, Sermon rushed for 2,076 yards and 22 touchdowns. His best season came in 2018 when he averaged nearly six yards per carry, totaled 947 yards, and found the end zone 13 times. His junior season was cut short in 2019 when he went down with a knee injury against Iowa State on Nov. 9.
Back in the 2017 recruiting cycle, Ohio State was an early favorite for the Marietta, Georgia four-star. But Tony Alford landed Dobbins in March of 2016 and Sermon pledged to Oklahoma the following month.
We don't know a whole lot on the injury to Master Teague, but we do know that he's out for the spring and that was a big-time blow to an already thin running back room. Miyan Williams will arrive as a true freshman this summer, but we've long been discussing the potential addition of a transfer; especially one with immediate eligibility.
It's impossible to tell how much stock to put into social media, but one of Sermon's more recent Twitter follows is none other than Tony Alford. Additionally, sources have told Eleven Warriors that if Ohio State were to look toward the portal, it would likely take place during the spring. The Teague injury likely only increases the need to do so.
If Sermon were to make the move to Columbus, it wouldn't be his first experience in the Shoe. Baker Mayfield and the Sooners came to town in September of 2017 and handed the Buckeyes a 31-16 loss. Then a true freshman, Sermon was the Sooners' leading rusher with 62 yards on the ground. He added a touchdown via a 10-yard reception as well.
