Mike Weber Poised to Become Big Ten’s Best Running Back
A look at the top Big Ten running backs.
The Big Ten Conference is loaded with talented running backs in 2017. What else is new? A punishing ground game is needed to win in November when the weather turns cold. That favors Ohio State.
Urban Meyer’s inside zone/gap scheme run game produced stellar careers for Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott.
Mike Weber picked up where Elliott left off finishing 2016 with 1096 yards and nine touchdowns becoming just the third Ohio State freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.
Robert Smith gained 1,126 yards in 1990 and Maurice Clarett had 1,237 yards in 2002.
Weber’s season earned him several awards including the Big Ten’s Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American (ESPN and Football Writers Association of America) and Second-team All-Big Ten Conference by the coaches and media.
Given that Weber is returning with J.T.Barrett, an experienced offensive line and what will be a more robust passing attack, it is likely that Weber will be the best running back in the Big Ten this season.
Most argue that Saquon Barkley is far and away the best back in the conference. That is understandable considering that he was a significant reason why Penn State won the Big Ten in 2016 after rushing for 1496 yards are 18 touchdowns.
The Nittany Lions return a bulk of their starters and their offense figures to be more explosive than 2016 when it averaged 45.57 points-per-game over the last seven games of the season.
The stage is set for a showdown between Weber and Barkley, but don’t be surprised if other backs take the challenge.
The chart reflects the top returning backs.
| Player | School | Attempts | Yards | YPA | TDS | YPG Avg |
| Justin Jackson | Northwestern | 298 | 1524 | 5.1 | 15 | 117.2 |
| Saquon Barkley | Penn State | 272 | 1496 | 5.5 | 18 | 106.9 |
| Rodney Smith | Minnesota | 240 | 1158 | 4.8 | 16 | 89.1 |
| Mike Weber | Ohio State | 182 | 1096 | 6 | 9 | 84.3 |
| Akrum Wadley | Iowa | 168 | 1081 | 6.4 | 10 | 83.2 |
| Ty Johnson | Maryland | 110 | 1004 | 9.1 | 6 | 77.2 |
| LJ Scott | Michigan State | 184 | 994 | 5.4 | 6 | 82.8 |
Justin Jackson needs 356 yards to become Northwestern’s all-time leading rusher. Jackson may not get as many carries this season as he did in 2016 as the Wildcat’s passing attack behind quarterback Clayton Thorson will be strong again.
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Rodney Smith split time with Shannon Brooks last year. The two-back system will continue under first-year head coach P.J. Fleck, but Smith will continue grinding out 100-yard games.
Akrum Wadley shared duties in Iowa’s backfield with LaShun Daniels in 2016 and both managed to top 1000 yards. Wadley will be a more featured back in 2017 and will run wild behind a big, seasoned offensive line.
Michigan State is a mess right now so who knows how its season is going to unfold, but L.J. Scott could be a surprise if he stays healthy and the offensive line plays well.
Ty Johnson led the league in yards-per-carry and D.J. Durkin needs to get him the ball more often as the schedule is significantly harder this season, with road games at Texas, Ohio State and Wisconsin.
All of these backs have a chance to supplant Weber or Barkley as the Big Ten’s best running back.
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In the end, Weber will make the most impact. When he does, he will leave early and solidify Ohio State as the top destination for NFL aspiring high school running backs.