With the departure of Ezekiel Elliott to the NFL only two months ago, Ohio State will need to find a new key running back to support J.T Barrett. This will be necessary in order to maintain an effective dual threat offense. However, replacing Elliott will not be an easy task. Ohio State has almost been spoiled with elite running back talent. Since 2010, the Buckeyes have had Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dan Herron giving consistent support to the passing game. To add to this impressive offense, Ohio State has also had a quarterback with over 700 rushing yards all but one season since 2009, including two 1,000+ yard seasons. If Ohio State wants to maintain their status as an elite team in the nation, they will need to continue this offensive diversity. However, the starting running back has yet to be decided. The backs in contention are Bri’onte Dunn, Mike Weber, and Antonio Williams. This assumes that Dontre Wilson and Curtis Samuel will stay as H-Backs. The question is, who will start in the 2016 season?
Ohio State Running Back Battle
Bri’onte Dunn
Dunn was kept under the radar during the spring game, as he was dealing with an ankle injury forcing him to sit out. Despite this, he is still a top contender for the starting job. Coming into his senior year, he has been able to sit under both Elliott and Hyde to watch and learn small tricks that can help him be much more explosive. Watching his highlights from high school, it’s obvious he has matured as a player. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash and while it is slower than Weber, Dunn has the ability to put his head down and go through the defense. The main limiting factor in starting Dunn over Weber would be his ability to cut across the field. Dunn has not been able to prove himself yet in his ability to move side-to-side across the field due to limited play time in his college career. If he can prove to be at a similar level as Weber, Dunn may very well get the bulk of the snaps this fall.
Mike Weber
Weber was the starter for Team Scarlet during the spring game which says a lot about the confidence Urban Meyer has in him. He finished the game with eight carries for 38 yards and two touchdowns in a game where the focus was passing for both sides. However, Weber did prove that he deserves a chance at the starting job. His ability to run over defenders was impressive for the red-shirt freshman. One notable play he had in the game was his ability to run over Malik Hooker to score his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter. If Weber can use this level of talent in the upcoming season, there is a very good chance that he may be the starting running back this fall.
Antonio Williams
Williams was the other starting running back in the spring game, however he was on the winning side. He got the bulk of the carries for Team Gray, but Joe Burrow stole the show with three touchdowns and only one interception. He has a very similar build to Weber, however, Weber is much more explosive. Williams only ran a 4.73 40-yard dash which is 0.2 seconds slower than Weber’s time. While it is a long shot that Williams will get the starting job, expect him to still have a small role in the offense while Ohio State is transitioning to replace Elliott.
Running Back Verdict:
While there’s confidence in Weber to be the next freshman prodigy of the nation, Dunn’s ability to keep up with Weber and his additional experience may be his downfall. Weber will still be relevant on the team and will likely get somewhere between 80-100 carries this year, but in the end, Dunn will likely be the go-to back when Meyer needs him.
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