Chip Trayanum: From transfer linebacker to Ohio State Football legend

We all know by now who Chip Trayanum is. He scored the game-winning touchdown for the Buckeyes against Notre Dame with one second left to get the Ohio State football team a 17-14 victory. But what many people don’t know is his story and how he got to this part of his collegiate career.

Coming out of Akron, Ohio, Trayanum was ranked as a four-star prospect according to 247Sports. He originally committed and signed to continue his career at Arizona State. There, he was a successful running back. He was able to rush for six touchdowns in 2021. He could’ve stayed there and finished out a successful career with Arizona State.

However, he decided to enter the portal in the 2022 cycle and committed to play for his home state of Ohio and play for the Ohio State football team. However, he would not be supporting the position he had played at Arizona State. Instead, he was scheduled to be a linebacker.

At this time, the linebacker room was struggling with depth, and Trayanum was a great linebacker in high school. During his time at Archbishop Hoban High School, Trayanum was named to the first team Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association D-II All-Ohio as a linebacker during his junior season.

So Trayanum went to the linebacker room and made his presence known there. He had 13 tackles, including four tackles against Rutgers. He also showed that he still had potential with the football as he began getting reps with special teams as a returner.

Like the reason he was with the linebackers, the Ohio State running back room began to deal with the same problems. They were dealing with injuries and Trayanum made another move and joined the running back room. This was a very tough move after being on the defensive side for the majority of the season and the whole off-season. But he did not miss a beat.

He was given a big test. That test was against Michigan as a running back. While Ohio State did not win that game, Trayanum showed out at running back. He had 8 carries for 64 yards in the first half against the Wolverines.

The 2022 season was one whirlwind of a season for Chip. He played offense, defense, and special teams. You do not see that very often in today’s game.

However, he has found his home as a running back with the Ohio State football program just as he was at Arizona State. Trayanum has done well so far this season in a crowded running back room. He had over 50 yards rushing against Western Kentucky and a touchdown. He also had over 50 yards rushing against Indiana, while the offense struggled as a whole that game, Trayanum played well.

Then his second touchdown of the season came at the most important and critical time of all. In South Bend, with the crowd as loud as possible, he got the ball on the handoff and fell into the end zone for the touchdown. A play that will be played on for many years to come. The electric roar of the visiting crowd, while the stunned silence of the home fans was just as powerful as the roar. The sidelines erupted onto the field, the players celebrating. It was a timeless moment in Ohio State history

With all that being said, Chip Trayanum, a man who has taken the long road to get to this moment, will now be remembered as an Ohio State football legend; A player who showed the willingness to help the team at all costs. He will now go down in history as the running back who got the last-second touchdown against Notre Dame. From transfer linebacker to Buckeye legend, what a great story for Chip Trayanum!