Three Ohio State football players who can be value picks in the 2021 Draft
By Ryan Stano
Trey Sermon transferred into the Ohio State football program last Fall looking to fight for the starting running back spot. The torn ACL he suffered the previous year while at Oklahoma slowed his opportunity to do that and he wasn’t able to grab that spot until later in the year.
Once Sermon did grab that spot though, he was sensational. He set the single-game record for rushing yards in the Big Ten Championship Game when he ran for 331 yards against Northwestern. He followed that performance up with 193 yards against Clemson.
Once Sermon’s knee got healthy, he was clearly the best running back the Buckeyes had. He runs hard in between the tackles and isn’t afraid of contact. He has the strength to run through arm tackles and the speed to break away once he gets through the line.
Sermon isn’t projected to get taken until the fifth round at the earliest in most projections because of injury concerns. Those concerns are valid as Sermon has had several knee injuries and then hurt his collarbone in the National Championship Game against Alabama. He isn’t very durable.
But if a team gets a healthy version of Sermon, he is someone that can help carry the load in the backfield. At his best, he can be the number one option on a team with a good offensive line. His upside is worth a fifth or sixth-round pick.
The second Ohio State football player on this list also plays on the offensive side of the ball and could be one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the Draft.