Ohio State Football: The top ten recruits of the Urban Meyer era
By Ryan Stano
Zeeeeeeeke! You could hear the chants rain down during Buckeye games when Ezekiel Elliott was on the field. Elliott was another member of that fantastic 2013 recruiting class and was a four-star kid out of St. Louis. He more than lived up to his billing.
Zeke put together one of the greatest runs in Ohio State football history at the end of the 2014 season. He ran for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship, then followed that up with 230 yards and 2 touchdowns against Alabam in the semi-final of the CFP.
Elliott’s best performance was saved for the National Championship Game against Oregon. He ran for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns and helped lead the way for the Buckeyes in a victory over the Ducks. That three-game stretch helped the Buckeyes win a national championship.
Zeke was so important to the team’s success that season that he was the first person Meyer gave the National Championship Trophy to once they won that game. He was a fan-favorite because of his running style and his crop-top jersey that he always wore as well.
Elliott went on to be the 4th overall pick in the 2016 draft, one spot behind Bosa. He too signed a mega-rich deal in the NFL after his rookie deal was done. Elliott continued the tradition of great running backs to play in Columbus.
The second-best recruit in the Meyer era played on the best Ohio State football team I’ve ever seen and put up a record-setting season for that squad.