Ohio State football: Can TreVeyon Henderson become the feature back?

As we near the start of the Ohio State football season, we take a deep dive into the running back room to find out if a freshman star is really ready for the limelight.

The Ohio State football team’s running back room will be crowded in the 2021-22 season. Master Teague III, Miyan Williams, Marcus Crowley, Evan Pryor, and TreVeyon Henderson will all battle for touches.

Teague is the presumed starting running back for now, but Ohio State may side with a running back by committee strategy this year. If one running back is separating himself from the pack as the season progresses, the Buckeyes will of course reward him with more carries. One running back that is talented enough to separate himself is Henderson.

Henderson is a true Freshman back who is Ohio State’s second-highest-rated running back recruit in program history. This is saying a lot considering Ohio State’s rich history at tailback. According to 247 Sports, Henderson was a five-star ranked 10th nationally and was the top running back in the 2021 class.

So far, Henderson has left a great impression on Ohio State’s coaching staff. In the spring, he was one of the first recruits out of the 2021 class to get his black stripe off. Kevin Wilson, Ohio State’s Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach, said he was impressed by Henderson,

"But he really impressed me as a young player stepping up in pass pro, taking on some of our linebackers in the blitz pickup periods that we did. And he caught the ball, you saw in the spring game, very well out of the backfield."

Due to Ohio State’s vast amount of talent every year, a true Freshman getting immediate playing time is rare. The first step for a Freshman to make an instant impact is leaving a good impression in the spring. Henderson has done just that, but he does have a ways to go before reaching stardom.

Henderson could have the highest potential in the Buckeyes’ running back room. His burst and acceleration could be the best Ohio State’s had since J.K. Dobbins. Further, Henderson did very well as a receiver out of the backfield in the Spring Game.

He had five receptions and 29 receiving yards. As Wilson mentioned, Henderson has impressed in the pass blocking game as well. Overall, Henderson is an all-around back that excels in the open field. He can make people miss alongside his elite speed. Henderson has even been compared to Christian McCaffrey due to his balanced skill set and athletic ability.

In a crowded running back room, Henderson certainly has a tough road to becoming the bell cow back. He seems to be on the right path for now. There is always a learning curve for freshmen in college football. Thanks to his immense talent, Henderson should vastly improve throughout the season and he could give the Ohio State football tea a skill set no other running back has.

The running back position seems to be free for the taking, and probably will remain up for grabs in the first couple of games. With a breakout game similar to Dobbins’ memorable debut against Indiana, Henderson could snag the feature running back role in the 2021-22 season.