Ohio State Football: With Weber returning it will be a loaded backfield
The Ohio State backfield will be talented and deep next season.
It appears running back Mike Weber will return to the Ohio State football program for one more year. While many speculated that Weber would leave school and enter the NFL draft in the spring, his Twitter message over the weekend indicated otherwise.
Assuming he will be back wearing Scarlet and Gray, the Ohio State backfield will be loaded next season. In fact, with the players returning along with the incoming recruits, it may be the deepest and most talented group of backs in the country.
Urban Meyer will have two running backs who have rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season for the first time in his coaching career. Demario McCall has been a touchdown waiting to happen, when healthy, and Antonio Williams rushed for 290 yards last season averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
The incoming freshmen form a stellar running back group to say the least. Brian Snead is ranked the No. 4 running back in the country, Master Teague has proven more than once he can run a sub 4.4 in the 40 and Jaelen Gill is a 5 star all-purpose back.
With the logjam at the running back position, McCall and Gill will almost certainly play H-back. They may line up in the backfield from time to time, but with their speed and athleticism they will primarily be used in space.
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Williams is in a difficult position with Dobbins and Weber in front of him and the two freshmen coming up from behind. I could see him opt for greener pastures to play for another school where he may get more carries. Williams is a talented back but there are just so many players in the mix.
Urban Meyer has done a good job at loading up the H-back position since he took over the reigns at Ohio State, but he had to depend on guys like Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott to carry the load at running back.
That was certainly a result of the success, or lack thereof, of players who played those positions in coach Meyer’s offense until the last few years. While H-backs had thrived, he didn’t have a 1,000 yard running back until the 2013 season. Now Urban has one every year and is sending them off to the NFL.
It’s no surprise that a running back would now want to come play for the Buckeyes.
Next: Ohio State passed biggest test, rest of Big Ten is proving ground
Heading into the 2018 season Ohio State will be loaded at both the H-back and running back positions. And it may be the deepest and most talented group of backs in the country.