Ohio State football: RB position battle is a three-player race

Only three running backs have a realistic shot at being the starter in 2021 for the Ohio State football team.

The Ohio State football team, like most teams in college football, are much more effective when they are able to stay balanced on offense. Trey Sermon helped the Buckeyes do that very well in the last three games of the season in 2020 before getting hurt in the National Championship.

Master Teague was the starter for most of the year. It would make sense that he would once again be the starter in 2021, but there are a couple of other running backs who might be able to take that spot from him, especially since he wasn’t as effective down the stretch.

Miyan Williams is someone who showed potential as a freshman this season. While he didn’t get a ton of carries, only 10 of them for a total of 64 yards in the four games he played, he showed a nice burst. He also showed the ability to find the right hole to run through.

Williams isn’t the biggest running back at only 5’8, but he does weigh 227 pounds. He is powerful and still quick. Williams is most effective at running in between the tackles and can burst through the line of scrimmage and still have enough speed to break away.

Incoming freshman TreyVeon Henderson has extraordinary talent. The five-star running back from Virginia has already enrolled and will look to make a move in the Spring. He has the size and the speed to be the ultimate weapon out of the backfield.

Not only can he run the ball well but Henderson can also catch the ball out of the backfield. He seems to be a decent but not great pass blocker. That can be improved once he gets into the offense and has practice after not playing during his senior season because of the pandemic.

Teague still has the inside track at the starting job since he had that position last year. Now that he should be fully healthy, he should be more effective earlier in the season than he was in 2020. He just has to hold off the younger kids first.