Ohio State has one of the best running back rooms in America.
However, the Buckeyes want to be more than “one of the best” in 2023. TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, Chip Trayanum, Evan Pryor and Dallan Hayden want to be known as the undisputed top position room in college football by the end of the season.
On Saturday, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford, Henderson, Williams, Pryor and Hayden met with the media at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. The collection of Buckeyes discussed the room's health after a 2022 season full of bumps and bruises and how Ohio State plans to maximize the position's unprecedented depth this fall.
Individually, Alford described his excitement to have a combination of talent and depth in his position room, Henderson discussed his hopes to have a bounceback year in 2023 and Williams broke down how the running backs can help Ohio State win a national championship this season. Moreover, Pryor shared his mindset going into the season after he missed all of 2022 with a torn patellar tendon, and Hayden broke down his offseason transformation achieved through workouts with director of sports performance Mickey Marotti.
We break down all of those topics and more below with videos from each of their individual press conferences and bullet-point recaps of what each Ohio State coach and player said after the Buckeyes' third practice of preseason camp.
Tony Alford
- Alford said he believes this year’s running back room is the deepest he’s ever had from top to bottom.
- He acknowledged he wasn’t sure if all five of his scholarship running backs would stay at Ohio State rather than enter the transfer portal, but he thinks that all comes back to the team’s brotherhood. “I know it may sound like a cliché, but it’s real. Why do you say it’s real? Because they’re all still here.”
- Alford said all the running backs are on pitch counts in practice to make sure they all get reps and to make sure they don’t get too much wear and tear on their bodies before the season.
- Alford said all of the running backs will have the opportunity to earn playing time, but he doesn’t feel like he owes any of them playing time. “You get what you deserve. You get what you earn. And in my eyes, they’ve earned an opportunity to show themselves.”
- He says that “competition makes everybody better. Because you know if you don’t do the job, the next guy coming in is very, very capable of doing the job.”
- Alford said TreVeyon Henderson has looked “really good” during the first three days of practice after he was sidelined this spring coming off of foot surgery.
- Alford says Evan Pryor is fully healthy but has been eased back into practice after missing all of last season and the entire spring with a knee injury.
- Asked about NFL running backs being underpaid, Alford replied, “I’m not touching that one. We’re leaving that one alone.”
TreVeyon Henderson
- On coming back from his injury, Henderson said he’s “excited to be back and get on the field with my teammates.” He said he’s looking forward to a “great year” and that his foot feels “better than ever and probably better than it was before.”
- Henderson said dealing with the injury made him a better leader and allowed him to be there for his teammates. “I couldn’t be there on the field, but the best thing I could do for those guys is be there the best I can.”
- On the competition to earn carries this season, Henderson said, “You just have to compete. I know when I committed here, I know what I was getting myself into. That’s why I chose Ohio State, they bring in the best talent each and every year. I’m always trying to compete and get better. That depth pushes me to work harder.”
- On not participating much in spring football, Henderson said “he just had to stick to the plan.” He said the doctor cleared him to start ramping up activity after the spring game.
Miyan Williams
- Williams said this year has “a different feeling” and he’s excited to compete with “a whole different team" – one he believes is capable of winning a national championship in 2023, with the running back room as a large driver of the team's success.
- Williams said he’s embraced taking on a leadership role and helping mentor the younger running backs in the room.
- On the running back room, Williams said there’s “talent everywhere.” He said all of the running backs push them to be better.
- Williams said he and TreVeyon Henderson balance each other out on the field and enjoy playing with each other.
- On missing some time with injuries last season, Williams said he didn’t “let it bother me too much, because I still had a role to help the team win.” Williams added life will always throw you adversity, but it’s about how you respond.
Evan Pryor
- Pryor said it “feels great” to be back on the field with his teammates and playing football again. “I’ve just been taking it in.”
- Pryor said he had to keep his leg straight for two months after tearing his left patellar tendon last August. “It was definitely hard, but it definitely makes you take things like this not for granted.”
- Pryor said he thinks Ohio State has the best running back room in the country. “We all bring the same thing to the table. Maybe the scale teeters here and there; bigger, stronger guys or maybe some of us are better out of the backfield, some of us are better in pass pro, things like that. But all around, you talk about all five of us, it’s pick your poison.”
- He said he never thought about transferring despite the loaded depth chart at running back. “I’ve just been really focused on being here for my teammates. They’ve seen the journey I went through since last year and how hard I fought to get back … it wouldn’t sit right with me to just do all that and just leave.”
- He said he’s felt 100% healthy since the start of summer workouts and has been able to do everything this summer.
Dallan Hayden
- Hayden on where he has seen his most significant growth this offseason: "I've gained way more weight and built some muscle. That's the biggest change. ... One of my main goals was to gain some weight."
- Regarding his weight gain and increased strength, Hayden said he hasn't felt too different on the field. However, he said Saturday's practice was the first in full pads, so he could feel the difference later. "I feel like that's something I'll notice down the road."
- When asked if Ohio State has the best running back room in the country, Hayden said, "Oh, yeah, of course. All five of us are legit," referring to Henderson, Williams, Trayanum, Pryor and himself.
- Hayden on his goals for the 2023 season: "Be the best version of myself week in and week out – every single day, continue to get better." He later said the best version of himself is "running full speed, playing hard and being violent" as a ball carrier.
- With a talented group of running backs at Ohio State, Hayden said he must "stay locked in, know my assignments and know what is being asked of me" as he works to receive snaps out of the Buckeyes' backfield.
