Leaving Ohio State as the School's All-Time Second-Leading Rusher, Ezekiel Elliott Strives to Be the Gold Standard in the NFL

Where Elliott ranks on your personal list of OSU's greatest running backs could sway a spot or two but it's hard to argue with 3,961 rushing yards (2nd all-time) in three years on the strength of the second and third best single-season efforts in school history (1,828 yards in 2014 and 1,821 in 2015). 

Beyond Zeke's devastating combination of size and speed, the St. Louis native evolved into the best blocking running back in the college game while becoming a legitimate pass catching threat. 

The combination of God-given size and talent combined with a professional work ethic has Elliott currently projected as a mid-to-late 1st round draft pick. 

A lot can happen between now and the NFL Draft April 28, so where Elliott is ultimately selected is still up in the air. That said, expectations are high, so high in fact some believe Zeke can make a run at becoming one of the most successful NFL running backs to come out of Ohio State's football factory. 

To gain perspective on exactly how tall of an order that might be, here's a look at the professional careers turned in by other former Buckeye running backs. 

Third on Ohio State's all-time rushing list with 3,768 yards, Eddie George is far and away the school's most prolific running back at the pro level. 

Eddie is one of just just 29 NFL running backs to crack the 10,000-yard rushing mark and ranks 49th all-time with 12,668 yards from scrimmage. The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner racked up seven seasons of 1,000 rushing yards in the pros including his first five seasons. 

A four-time Pro Bowl selection – most among all former Buckeye backs – George was a first team All-Pro in 2000 on the strength of 1,509 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

Eddie is one of just six Buckeye running backs to be selected in the first round after the Houston Oilers took him with the 14th pick of the 1996 draft. 

A formidable list of five Buckeyes backs up Eddie on that next level of pro success led by Keith Byars. 

Byars, a Dayton product selected as the 10th overall pick in 1986, lasted 13 years in the NFL thanks largely to a receiver's set of hands attached to a fullback frame. In fact, it's a little tough to list him among running backs considering the time he logged at fullback and tight end in the second half of his career but my article, my rules. 

Elliott certainly doesn't project as anything other than a tailback at the next level but his hands could grow into the same caliber as Keith's and assuming Zeke does carve out a starting role at the next level, it will be interesting to see how he's used in the passing game over the balance of his career. 

A true tailback, Robert Smith is next on the list with 8,110 career yards from scrimmage, all with the Minnesota Vikings. The two-time Pro Bowler went for 1,000+ yards four straight seasons including a career-high 1,521 in 2000, his final year in the NFL. If not for his decision to retire after an eight-year career when he still had plenty in the tank, it's almost a given he would have surpassed Eddie for most yards in the pros by a Buckeye running back. 

Pete Johnson put up a strong 6,690 yards in the league but is best known for finding the end zone a ridiculous 82 times in eight seasons which is good for 55th on the NFL's all-time list. He's the only guy in the top six of this list drafted in the 2nd round (49th overall). Not bad factoids for a guy who spent his collegiate career in Archie Griffin's shadow. 

Super Sophomore John Brockington rounds out the top six NFL rushers from Ohio State. Brockington isn't as well known as some of the other Buckeye stars from that group playing in Columbus from 1968-1970 but the Green Bay Packers were certainly aware making him the ninth pick of the 1971 NFL Draft. 

Brockington's caeer was a bit brief at seven years with top-heavy success in the early going but he was ultimately selected to three Pro Bowls on the strength of 6,482 total yards and 34 touchdowns. 

Seven former Buckeyes make up the next group who managed to account for between 2,000 an almost 5,000 career yards from scrimmage. 

Brockington's backfield mate, Jim Otis, heads this grouping despite being the 218th player selected in 1970. Jim's nine-year career spanned three teams headlined by a 1975 campaign that saw him rush for 1,076 yards and earn a trip to the Pro Bowl as the starting fullback for the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Ron Springs, selected 136th overall in 1979 by the Dallas Cowboys, finished just behind Otis with 4,778 yards from scrimmage over an eight-year career. Serving largely as a blocker for Tony Dorsett, Springs relied on versatility as a receiver and overall professionalism, carving out a meaningful role for Tom Landry's club. 

Two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin stands eighth on the list with 4,415 total yards with 13 touchdowns. The 24th pick of the 1976 NFL Draft, Griffin struggled to live up to the hype that came with his collegiate accolades and first round draft status. 

Archie posted a respectable 4.1 yards per carry and evolved into a solid pass catching threat out of the backfield but after owning college football he posted just three games of 100+ rushing yards in 98 games. 

Raymont Harris (4th round), Vince Workman (5th) and Tim Spencer (11th) all posted respectable NFL stat lines especially in light of their draft slots. Beanie Wells, taken 31st overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2009, had a promising career cut short by injuries, most notably a bout with turf toe in early 2012 followed by an Achilles tendon tear in 2013 that ended his career. The two devastating injury blows came on the heels of a 2011 season in which he totaled 1,047 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns. 

The final group of six features five guys selected in the later rounds of the draft along with Carlos Hyde. A 2nd round pick in 2014 by San Francisco, Hyde's story is still very much unwritten and following foot surgery, he should be healthy in time to be the feature back in Chip Kelly's offense next season. 

Where Elliott might rank on this list when the dust settles on his career will take years to determine but he certainly has the tools to make a run at the upper tier. His journey starts in Chicago on Thursday, April 28 with the start of this year's NFL Draft.