In 2024 it is going to be the Ohio State running back room that has a chance to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the offense. The Buckeyes have a top-heavy room for that unit and maybe the best duo in the country.
While the room is very talented there are still depth concerns that exist for the Buckeyes. Dallan Hayden transferred to Colorado and Miyan Williams moved on from college football. Let’s run through how the room is going to shape up in 2024.
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins will be a two-headed monster for the Buckeyes
It is not often that you see two running backs of this level within a college offense . The Buckeyes being able to get Henderson back for another season after he decided to not enter the NFL Draft after last season was huge. Ohio State doubled up by getting Judkins from the transfer portal after he decided to leave Ole Miss.
Henderson ran for 1,248 yards as a freshman but totaled just 571 and 926 the last two seasons with injuries being a factor. The hope is that Henderson can stay healthy and that he can get back to being a 1,000-yard back for the Buckeyes.
Judkins ran for over 2,700 yards at Ole Miss over two seasons and has a ton of usage at the college level. Ohio State being able to bring in a powerful player like him was key for their depth and it became apparent after Hayden left. If one of the top backs goes down, Ohio State will still have a starter to rely on.
The running backs are going to get turned loose in Chip Kelly’s system under Ryan Day and 2024 could be a season where the Buckeyes have two 1,000-yard backs, especially with more games to be played.
Why the depth is an issue at running back for Ohio State
After Hayden left for Colorado it left the Buckeyes with a walk-on and two freshmen behind their top two running backs. It is not the most ideal situation and it’ll force Ohio State to likely not redshirt either player. Early in the season, both James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon could be seeing some playing time against lesser opponents late in the game.
Walk-on running back T.C. Caffey is out for the season with a knee injury , so it’ll be just the two freshmen behind Henderson and Judkins. Originally, the plan was for Caffey to be a part of the game plan this season.
Both Peoples and Williams-Dixon were early enrollees at Ohio State and that does help the cause a bit. They were on campus in the spring and have had some time in the strength program. The spring game gave them both an opportunity to flash what they could do a bit and they did just that.
Final outlook on the 2024 running back room in Columbus
Barring something unforeseen, the running game in Columbus should be one of the better that Ohio State has had in some time. Unlike last season, the running back room will be complemented by a quarterback who can run the ball too with Will Howard behind center . The Buckeyes are going to get one year of the Henderson-Judkins shows so enjoy it while it lasts.
Related: Ohio State’s biggest question for their pivotal 2024 season comes at the most important position
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