Ohio State football could rely on freshman for offensive success

Ohio State football waited until the end of the season for their signature to emerge when Trey Sermon erupted. The Buckeyes will need a new back to step up this year, and it could be a true freshman.

Ohio State has been privileged the last few years to have some of the best running backs in college football. From Ezekiel Elliott, Mike Weber, and J.K. Dobbins the Buckeyes never doubted where they would get rushing yards from. That changed this past year when Master Teague struggled to gain big chunks of yards and Trey Sermon looked a step behind for most of the year.

Sermon was able to put it all together towards the end and lead the Buckeyes on an amazing run to the National Championship. With a new quarterback taking over for Ryan Day’s offense, having a solid rushing attack will be crucial in having a smooth transition.

Master Teague is the most tenured running back for the Buckeyes, however, he will have to take massive steps forward to become the go-to guy. There is a good chance Ohio State turns to a true freshman, TreVeyon Henderson, to carry the load.

Henderson was a five-star prospect who signed with the Buckeyes on early signing day and enrolled early onto campus. He was the top running back in the class and comes with high expectations. 247 Sports goes so far as to say Henderson has first-round NFL draft potential before ever playing a college game. It is that kind of talent the Buckeyes desperately need in 2021.

With an excellent combination of speed and strength, the starting running back competition could quickly swing to the true freshman, clearing the way for him to be a three or four-year starter for the Buckeyes.

In the long term, that many games would give him a good chance to set all kinds of career records for Ohio State. The short term is that he could play a key role his freshman year in getting the Buckeyes back to the National Championship game.