As the start of spring football at Ohio State approaches on March 6, we here at Eleven Warriors are taking a position-by-position look at the competitions to come when practices begin in less than two weeks.
Ohio State faces quite a few positional question marks heading into the 2018 season, but running back is not one of them. The Buckeyes return not one, but two former 1,000-yard rushers, two talented backups waiting to make an impact and have three four-star recruits arriving as reinforcements.
As Ohio State searches for a new starting quarterback this spring, the running back position provides a much-needed area of stability to the offense. And with a less-mobile Dwayne Haskins as likely frontrunner to win the starting quarterback job, the running backs will have a more vital role in the running game than they've ever been since Urban Meyer's arrival.
What We Know
Spring Position Previews
The Buckeyes return their leading rusher from each of the last two seasons: Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins – each of whom have had 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Weber rushed for 1,119 yards on 182 attempts during the 2016 season. Then Dobbins, taking advantage of Weber's preseason injury, emerged as the team's leading rusher in 2017, rushing for an Ohio State freshman record 1,412 yards on 194 carries.
Behind the Dobbins-Weber one-two punch is redshirt sophomore Demario McCall and junior Antonio Williams. Both have shown flashes in limited action – mostly in mop-up duty at the end of games – but with the talent of Weber and Dobbins, have yet to see the field in a meaningful capacity. That will likely be the case once again.
Behind the four veterans, Ohio State brings in one of its best running back recruiting classes of all time. The 2018 class features the No. 3 running back in four-star Brian Snead, the No. 2 all-purpose back in four-star Jaelin Gill and the No. 11 running back in four-star Master Teague III. With the depth ahead of them, it's unlikely any member of the group makes much of an impact this upcoming season, but they'll provide stability and depth for the coming years.
What We Don't Know
Multiple times during the 2017 season, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer mentioned the prospect of employing two-back sets, which would utilize both Dobbins and Weber in the backfield at the same time. That never really materialized. Instead, Dobbins and Weber typically just split carries, spelling one another. With more time to adjust and prepare the offense and the potential for a more pro-style quarterback, is it possible the Buckeyes employ those two-back sets this year?
Along those same lines, if Haskins is indeed the starter this season, will Ohio State change its offense to lean more on the tailbacks in the running game? Much of the Buckeye offense since Meyer's arrival in Columbus has been predicated on reads and the threat of the quarterback run. With a less mobile quarterback, the running backs will likely bear more of the burden in the running game, but the offense will likely have to change for that to happen.
With Dobbins and Weber holding down the top-two spots, the biggest question this spring is how the rest of the depth chart will shake out. McCall and Williams are the two veterans, but a trio of talented freshmen will look to make an impact. There's also a matter of which position McCall and Gill will play, as they may make the move to the receivers room to play the H-back position.
Players to Watch
Perhaps the most intriguing player in the running backs room is McCall. His talent and game-breaking ability has been put on display during his first two seasons at Ohio State, averaging six yards per carry and 22.5 yards per reception finding the end zone six times.
With the talent at both the running back and H-back positions coupled with injury issues last season, McCall's never been able to crack the lineup and play meaningful snaps. That's unlikely to change this season, with each position still stacked, but it will be interesting to see what position he ends up playing this spring.
Williams is another intriguing player. Given that he's already been passed on the depth chart by one younger player with Dobbins' emergence last season, it will be interesting to see what happens with the talented freshmen. If Williams is passed yet again, it's unlikely he'll ever find his way to the top of the depth chart.
Of the three freshmen, Gill will likely be the most interesting to watch this spring. Gill is one of the most versatile players in the country coming out of high school and it will be interesting to see how the Buckeyes use him in this offense.
Projected Depth Chart
1A. J.K. Dobbins
1B. Mike Weber
2. Demario McCall
3. Antonio Williams
