Miyan Williams’ 2023 season is over.
The Ohio State running back is out for the rest of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery for a knee injury, Ryan Day said during his press conference Tuesday.
“Feel really bad for Miyan that he's not gonna be able to play,” Day said. “Had a procedure done, and they let us know that he's gonna be out for the season. Miyan’s done a lot of great things for us, and that's a big hit for that room and for our team, but the good news is we have some good depth in that room, and Tony's done a good job of building it.”
Day said Williams, a redshirt junior, has not yet decided whether he will return to Ohio State for the 2024 season. He still has two remaining seasons of eligibility with the extra year of eligibility all players received in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I'm sure that he's considering what his next steps are here, but I think it's all so new, he's still trying to just focus on his rehab and then we'll kind of address that as we get closer to the end of the season,” Day said.
Ohio State’s leading rusher in 2022, Williams was the No. 3 running back on the Buckeyes’ depth chart this season behind TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum. He had his most productive game of the season against Penn State, rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, but was sidelined for the other two of Ohio State’s last three games against Purdue and Wisconsin.
With Williams out, Dallan Hayden – who has played in only two games this season as Ohio State looks to potentially preserve his redshirt – becomes the third running back on the depth chart behind Henderson and Trayanum.
Day was also asked about several other injured players during Tuesday’s press conference. Regarding starting safety Lathan Ransom, Day said the timeline for his return has not yet been determined as he is still being evaluated after suffering an apparent non-contact injury in his lower leg against Wisconsin.
“I think we’ll probably have an update later in the week, we're still trying to figure out kind of the timeline on that,” Day said of Ransom.
In more positive updates, Day said that backup quarterback Devin Brown is in line to practice this week, though it has not yet been determined how much he will be able to practice after injuring his ankle against Penn State two weeks ago. Day also said that wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who was available against Wisconsin but held out for a third straight game as he continues to recover from his own ankle injury, is expected to practice all week and be available to play against Rutgers.
As for Kyle McCord, Day gave no indication that the starting quarterback would be limited in practice this week or in the Rutgers game after suffering an injury on a third-quarter scramble against Wisconsin. McCord did not miss any snaps against the Badgers, and Day said Ohio State would do what it has to do to win each game in terms of managing that injury going forward.
“I think you're always aware of where guys are at. It's a long season. But you gotta do what you gotta do to win the game, too,” Day said. “So that's always a balance that you try to strike, for sure.”
