Bri'onte Dunn's Ohio State career came to an end Monday evening when the fifth-year senior running back was dismissed for "a violation of team rules."
But really, it never got started.
Once a prized recruit, Dunn amassed just 49 career carries for 291 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his first four years at Ohio State. He was set to enter a competition with redshirt freshman Mike Weber for the starting job this upcoming season, but his career in Columbus ended before that fall camp battle ever took place.
Hailing from GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio, Dunn was a top-100 recruit in the class of 2012, ranked as the No. 8 running back in the class and the sixth-best player in Ohio. He committed to the Buckeyes on Dec. 13, 2011, and chose Ohio State over archrival Michigan. When he signed, Dunn was supposed to be the next big thing for the Buckeyes at running back.
Dunn appeared in 11 games as a true freshman during the 2012 season. He primarily got on the field on special teams, but he did rack up 25 carries — more than half the number he had for his entire career — for 133 yards and two touchdowns.
After a somewhat promising freshman season, however, Dunn redshirted during the 2013 campaign as a sophomore as he found himself somewhat in the doghouse of head coach Urban Meyer. Carlos Hyde led the way for the Buckeyes backfield that year, and a true freshman named Ezekiel Elliott emerged as the team's potential heir apparent.
As the 2014 season progressed, Elliott cemented himself as Ohio State's primary running back with true freshman Curtis Samuel leapfrogging Dunn for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. It was a rough season for the then third-year sophomore, one in which Dunn appeared in just six games and had a total of nine carries for 63 yards.
The Buckeyes won the national title that year as Elliott blossomed into a star. The following spring, Samuel moved to wide receiver in an attempt to be on the field for more snaps as Elliott earned the right to carry the load for an entire season. That opened the door for Dunn to be the No. 2 running back.
But even though Dunn earned his way back into the good graces of Meyer and the rest of the coaching staff, he didn't see much on-field action during that 2015 campaign as Elliott shouldered almost the entire load. Dunn again played on special teams, but, at running back, had just 15 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown as a fourth-year junior.
This season, Dunn's final, was supposed to be his time. He was going to be a fifth-year senior and his primary competition, Weber, a redshirt freshman. Dunn was lauded for his patience and hard work to get back on track, and this spring he finally seemed ready to make an impact at Ohio State.
"This year is going to be a big year for me. I just want to lead my team," Dunn said during spring practice. "Mike Weber is doing real good, and I want to lead him and the young guys to be better for the future."
Added Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford: "It's his last go-round. He's playing really hard and I've been impressed with that. He's really playing hard and trying to take some leadership in the room and own that. I've been very pleased with him as a senior in our unit room."
That unit room no longer has a scholarship senior following Dunn's dismissal. What remains is a crop of young, talented ballcarriers — much like Dunn when he arrived at Ohio State.
As a high-profile recruit, Dunn was expected to be on the long list of great Ohio State running backs that came before him. That just never happened. He never quite reached his on-field potential during his four years with the Buckeyes.
The hope now for Ohio State, of course, is the new wave of running backs meet theirs.
