Ohio State football: Buckeye offense needs Miyan Williams

Leading up to last week’s Purdue game, Ryan Day said he wanted to see the Ohio State football team’s other running backs get more carries. With Master Teague sidelined yet again, Miyan Williams was the beneficiary of Day’s wishes. The redshirt freshman ran the ball fourteen times for 117 yards and showed why the Buckeye offense needs him.

There is no doubt true freshman sensation Tre’Veyon Henderson is something special, but Williams brings a dimension of power Henderson doesn’t quite possess just yet. He’s a bull of a runner who punishes would-be tacklers.

Williams packs 227 pounds onto just a 5’8” frame. He’s very good at using his lack of height and strong legs to get under defenders and move the pile, as we saw him do many times against the Boilermakers. If there is an area where the Buckeyes can use him, it is in short yardage. His power, quick feet, and good vision are assets that can only help an offense that has struggled too often on third or fourth and short.

Williams began the season by carrying the ball 23 times for just over 200 yards in OSU’s first two games, including a nine-carry, 125-yard performance against Minnesota. A combination of Henderson’s emergence, bouncing between second and third on the depth chart.

Injuries limited the product of Winton Woods High School to just 21 carries over the Buckeyes’ next seven games. When given the chance to be a bigger part of the offense again, he capitalized and showed why he needs to be utilized the remainder of the season. You can watch each of his carries against Purdue by clicking here.

So far in 2021, Williams has rushed for 436 yards on just 58 carries. That’s 7.5 yards per carry. That’s someone who needs to continue to have a larger role in the offense. Henderson is special, but the two-headed monster of he and Williams makes this offense better.