While returning quarterback and 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud is the headliner on an Ohio State offense set to once again be one of the most dangerous the country, weapons abound for Ryan Day's unit.
Chief among them is sophomore tailback TreVeyon Henderson after the true freshman lit up defenses - and Ohio State's record book - during a sterling campaign.
Henderson, a 5-foot-10, 215 pounder out of Hopewell, Virginia, arrived in Columbus as a five-star talent and made his presence known early, becoming the third early enrollee to shed his black stripe during spring camp.
Even with his sky-high potential, Henderson was just the third running back on the field in the season-opener against Minnesota behind Miyan Williams and Master Teague III. By game three however, Henderson was rewarded with his first career start and promptly set Ohio State's freshman record with 270 rushing yards in a win over Tulsa. This 48-yarder pushed him close the record:
The juke. The speed. The power.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 18, 2021
Reminder: hes a freshman. pic.twitter.com/RFrFtGshTQ
And this one put him over the top:
And he broke the record with style. pic.twitter.com/gBWCoO1KRi
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 18, 2021
Henderson would go on to play in all 13 contests and set an Ohio State freshman single-season record with 19 total touchdowns while chewing up the second-most rushing yards (1,248).
He rushed for more than 100 yards in three contests while posting six games with at least 100 combined rushing and receiving yards as the Buckeyes went 11-2 including a win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.
Just the fifth true freshman to serve as Ohio State's starting tailback over the balance of a season, his numbers stacked up favorably to those of his predecessors in Archie Griffin, Robert Smith, Maurice Clarett and J.K. Dobbins.
Now, with year one in the books, Henderson turns his attention to besting his freshman output. Looking at year two production from the likes of Archie, Smith and Dobbins, it's no gimme Henderson will be able to take his game to the next level but there's no doubt he has his head on straight and is focused on improving in all facets.
| YEAR | SEASON | G | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | YPC | RUSH TD | REC | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | FR | 11 | 159 | 867 | 5.5 | 3 | 6 | 71 | 11.8 | 0 |
| 1973 | SO | 11 | 247 | 1,577 | 6.4 | 7 | 5 | 32 | 6.4 | 1 |
Archie set the standard for Ohio State running backs in more ways than one and notably was the first true freshman to start at running back for the Buckeyes. Griffin did so in 1972, the first season true freshmen were eligible to play, outside of a few war-time instances in decades prior.
Like Henderson after him, Griffin exploded onto the scene with a record-setting game early in year one. For Griffin, it was in the schedule's second contest as he torched North Carolina for a then-school-record 239 rushing yards. This breakout performance occurred on the heels of the season-opener in which he fumbled on his one and only carry of the afternoon.
Griffin went on to have a sturdy freshman campaign as the team's leading rusher despite finishing second in attempts within Ohio State's T-formation attack. He took things to a different level as a sophomore however, rushing for 1,577 yards on 6.4 per carry as the I-formation tailback, dusting his 1972 numbers. Griffin's monster second season set the stage for back-to-back Heisman Trophy wins in 1974 and 1975.
| YEAR | SEASON | G | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | YPC | RUSH TD | REC | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | FR | 12 | 177 | 1,126 | 6.4 | 8 | 10 | 112 | 11.2 | 0 |
| 1992 | SO | 10 | 147 | 819 | 5.6 | 10 | 9 | 84 | 9.3 | 0 |
It wasn't until 1990 that another true freshman would start at tailback as Robert Smith burst onto the scene by way of Euclid, Ohio.
Featuring effortlessly long strides and sprinter speed, Smith recorded a 39-yard touchdown run in his collegiate debut and ran for 105 yards the next week. In an otherwise extremely forgettable season (7-4-1), Smith's long runs popped off the screen on the way to 1,126 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
A falling out with offensive coordinator Elliott Uzelac saw Smith sit out the 1991 season - attending OSU on a track scholarship instead - before returning to John Cooper's team ahead of the 1992 season.
Smith's 1992 season saw a dip in production compared to his 1990 stats though he still ran for 5.6 yards per carry for another average Cooper team (8-3-1).
| YEAR | SEASON | G | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | YPC | RUSH TD | REC | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | FR | 11 | 222 | 1,237 | 5.6 | 16 | 12 | 104 | 8.7 | 2 |
| 2003 | SO | WELP | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
A dozen years after Smith's record-setting freshman season, Maurice Clarett came to Columbus to play for newly minted head coach Jim Tressel and set the college football world on fire.
Grabbing the attention of teammates in spring ball via a fearless, confident attitude and rugged running style, Clarett caught the eyes of the nation with 175 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the season-opener against Texas Tech. Two weeks later against No. 10 Washington State, Clarett went for 230 yards on 31 carries with a pair of scores.
Despite nagging injuries, Clarett would ultimately rush for over 100 yards in seven of 11 games played including 119 in a 14-9 thriller over Michigan, sending OSU to the BCS national championship game. With the Buckeyes vying for the title, Clarett had just 47 rushing yards but scored twice and turned in the play of the game, stripping Miami's Sean Taylor after Taylor had picked off Craig Krenzel in the end zone.
Things fell apart from there unfortunately, and Clarett never played another down for the Buckeyes.
| YEAR | SEASON | G | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | YPC | RUSH TD | REC | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | FR | 14 | 194 | 1,403 | 7.2 | 7 | 22 | 135 | 6.1 | 1 |
| 2018 | SO | 14 | 230 | 1,053 | 4.6 | 10 | 26 | 263 | 10.1 | 2 |
Fifteen years after Clarett's clutch freshman season, J.K. Dobbins arrived in Columbus and delivered 181 rushing yards in his collegiate debut versus Indiana. Dobbins would go on to rack up the most single-season rushing yards of any Ohio State freshman via a ridiculous 7.2 yards per carry.
Dobbins wasn't quite as effective during his sophomore season and neither was his offensive line. He still reached the 1,000-yard plateau but on significantly less yards per carry as Ohio State's offense morphed into a pass-heavy attack riding the rifle attached to Dwayne Haskins' right shoulder.
| YEAR | SEASON | G | RUSH ATT | RUSH YDS | YPC | RUSH TD | REC | REC YDS | YPC | REC TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FR | 13 | 183 | 1,248 | 6.8 | 15 | 27 | 312 | 11.6 | 4 |
Just four years after Dobbins started as a pup, Henderson showed the speed and versatility as a true freshman tailback, fitting perfectly into Ryan Day's system. His 312 receiving yards were more than double any of his fellow Buckeye starting freshmen tailbacks and his 6.8 yards per carry trailed only Dobbins' 7.2.
This year, all signs point to Henderson's sophomore season looking more like Archie's 1973 campaign, versus backsliding to the varying degrees realized by Smith and Dobbins.
As a true freshman, Henderson, despite playing in every contest, was nicked up from time to time. Good fortune, increased strength, and a year of seasoning will hopefully allow Henderson to play a higher percentage of his snaps while feeling 100%.
Combine those factors with defenses having to account for Stroud and what should be a dominant passing game, even as the Buckeyes replace Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and Henderson should be primed to turn in an electric 2022 season.
