Ohio State hasn’t lost any major pieces from its running back unit, but a lot has changed in the position room since this time last year.
Entering the summer of 2022, there was a well-established pecking order. On the heels of a record-setting freshman campaign, TreVeyon Henderson unquestionably headlined the group with Miyan Williams falling right behind. In 2023, both may begin the season on an even playing field, and each one has something to prove after injuries hampered their previous year.
Chip Trayanum, who might have been the most impressive running back on the field for the Buckeyes this spring, was still playing linebacker. Dallan Hayden, who wound up taking the second-most carries on the roster in 2022 as just a true freshman, was still just an afterthought given the depth in front of him.
Back then, Evan Pryor was considered the No. 3 back, having bided his time as a true freshman and added size to his frame to be able to handle more physical punishment in year two. Coaches and teammates were buzzing about the explosive plays the speedy rusher was making in practice, and given Pryor’s pass-catching prowess, he appeared to have a real chance at seeing the field as a change of pace from what Henderson and Williams brought to the table.
"He's done everything he's supposed to do to get himself back in order to play and I'm so excited about where he's going.”– Tony Alford on Evan Pryor's injury recovery
And as it turned out, Ohio State could have desperately used Pryor’s services in 2022. As a result of injuries to Henderson and Williams, Trayanum had to switch into the room from linebacker and Hayden played a far bigger role than anyone would've expected in some of the season's most important contests. And at times, even fullback/tight end Mitch Rossi and running back Xavier Johnson had to fill in as Buckeye RBs.
But of course, Pryor’s preseason injury started off that rash of unfortunate events in the first place. The top-100 overall prospect in the 2021 class suffered a torn ACL that stole away all the momentum he mustered over his second offseason in the program.
Since then, if you’ve seen Pryor, he’s been either hobbled on the bench or doing light warmups on the sidelines. In an interview session last month, though, position coach Tony Alford indicated that we could see Pryor in a more involved capacity sometime soon. And despite all of Pryor’s time off, Alford said he hasn’t forgotten about him.
“He's been out. So obviously when someone's out, it's kind of like out of sight, out of mind for some people. Not for me and this building,” Alford said. “But his demeanor has been fantastic from all indicators. He's done everything he's supposed to do to get himself back in order to play and I'm so excited about where he's going.”
Pryor may be handling the recovery process well, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been tough times. On the cusp of earning his first meaningful playing time last year, any chance of a breakout year was wrestled away from him in an instant.
Alford said navigating what kind of support a player needs throughout a process like this is all part of his job description, but that the entire team collectively plays a big part in helping a Buckeye in Pryor’s position climb back from some low moments.
“I think that's part of being a coach and part of being a parent. You have to know your players and you have to know your kids and what buttons to push and kind of when you got to push them along or when you got to hug them up or when you have to encourage them, when you have to scold them, all those different things that come about,” Alford said. “Evan's a very prideful young guy. He's highly motivated and a confident person in his own skill set. And so there were some rough days for him, as there would be for anybody. And that's where we talk about the brotherhood, that's where we talk about the family atmosphere, that we've all got to lift one another up.
“And it's not just player to coach. Lot of time the players got to lift the coaches, and vice versa. So that's being part of a team and part of a family and I think Evan's in a good place right now.”
In terms of a concrete timeline for Pryor’s return to full-contact action, Alford said "you'd have to talk to the doctors," but that "he should be back ready to go." When Pryor does return, he’ll likely be hard-pressed to find immediate playing time at the start of the season. But Alford said he could get some opportunities as a kick returner as he tries to find ways to make an impact.
“He'll obviously get some shots at that. That was something that he was going to do before the injury happened and was sustained,” Alford said. “So yeah, we'll hopefully be able to get him back into that fold as well.”
Given how last year played out, Alford is happy to have as many options as possible at running back in 2023. How much Pryor will factor into a rotation, or even how quickly he will physically be able to do so, remains unclear. But if Pryor resembles the form he began displaying last offseason at any point in the relatively near future, he could jump right back into the forefront of many fans’ minds.
