Tony Alford believes Ohio State's running back room is the deepest it's ever been.
However, that comes with one caveat: The Buckeye ball carriers need to remain healthy this spring, summer and fall. If they can reach the end of the 2023 season without any injuries – outside of the regular bumps and bruises, of course – Alford expects the Ohio State run game to hold up its end of the bargain next year.
TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, Chip Trayanum, Evan Pryor and Dallan Hayden make up Ohio State's list of five scholarship running backs heading into next season. Henderson and Pryor are unavailable for spring practices as they recover from surgery, the former to repair torn tendons in his foot and the latter the ACL in his knee. As for Williams, Trayanum and Hayden, all three backs have taken reps in the offseason period, working to develop their bodies and mind under Alford's tutelage.
On Wednesday, Alford met with the media to discuss Henderson and Pryor's return to full strength, Williams and Trayanum's leadership as veterans in the running back room and Hayden's development off the field in the weight room and film study. At the same time, Henderson explained his recovery process and his hopes for a comeback season in 2023, while Hayden mentioned his desire to have hard work pay off in year two.
We've rounded up some of the most notable comments from each of them below, and you can watch the videos below to hear what each of them had to say.
Tony Alford
- Alford said Henderson has had a great spring and continues to get healthy. When Henderson returns to full strength, Alford expects him to be one of the hardest workers on the team, as he believes the junior running back has something to prove in 2023. "There were some hard lessons learned for him (last season) as a young man and dealing with adverse situations, how to deal with the good and the bad."
- Alford said Chip Trayanum has been an important piece to Ohio State’s running back room since his transition from linebacker last season. “Chip is a competitive kid, and we are excited to have him in our room. … He’s a grown man, very mature.”
- When asked how he sees the running back depth chart looking in 2023, Alford said, “We will find that out as we get closer to the fall,” explaining that he wants to see Henderson and Pryor return to full strength and Williams, Hayden and Trayanum continue to improve in all areas of their games.
- Regarding Hayden, Alford said the sophomore running back has tremendous vision for his age, which makes him dangerous. Still, Alford thinks there’s room for Hayden to be more intentional with his time off the field regarding weight training and film study. “I think Dallan has grown,” Alford said. “He is maturing. He’s learning how important it is to study the game… and take care of his body.”
- When healthy from top to bottom, Alford said Ohio State’s running back room is the deepest it has been during his tenure with the Buckeyes. Alford said he wants each of his backs to be three-down players so they can be effective pieces of the offense.
- Alford said Ohio State’s starting running back spot will not be given to any one player based on talent, experience or any other factor. Instead, a player will have to earn that spot with their play on the field and leadership off of it. “It’s not gonna be given. Somebody has gotta take it.”
TreVeyon Henderson
- Henderson feels “great” and feels like he’s “back to myself” now that he’s back doing individual work in practice. Henderson says “I feel like I’m 100 percent” health-wise, but that Ohio State is still holding him out of team work just to be safe.
- Henderson says “I never felt like myself” in 2022 after suffering his initial injury in the third week of the season.
- On Ohio State having a loaded running back room this season, Henderson says “it don’t phase me at all.” Henderson says competition is “never a thing for me” and thinks it will bring out the best in the entire position room.
- Hendersons says “I feel like I could definitely play a game right now” but that “there’s a whole season ahead of us” and there’s no reason to risk anything. Henderson says he’s been ahead of schedule “for a while now.”
- Henderson says he fractured his sesamoid bone last season and that every time he pushed off his foot he was “basically refracturing that bone.” Henderson says he was “barely practicing” all of last season and that he often questioned if he’d be able to be himself during games.
Dallan Hayden
- Hayden said he’s bulked up to 205 pounds, up from 195 last season. He said the weight will help him withstand playing a full season in the Big Ten, and that he felt a little sore following games playing at his weight last year.
- Hayden said he believes the reps have been split evenly with the other OSU running backs in spring football and that he hopes to make “every rep count.”
- Hayden says he wants to build on what he did last year, take the positive experiences and build toward a more successful sophomore season.
- In terms of specifics he’d like to see his game improve, Hayden said his pass blocking is the No. 1 area where he can make the biggest improvement. He’d also like to get better at getting to the second and third levels on the field.
