The odds of actually seeing Caleb Downs at running back for Ohio State football

The Ohio State football program has been known for great running backs in its storied history. Running backs from Archie Griffin, Eddie George, and J.K. Dobbins have the story for the Buckeyes. They have two great ones on the roster this year as well.

TreVeyon Henderson returns as the starter and is looking for a healthy season to finish his career. Quinshon Judkins transferred in from Ole Miss and will probably end up being the best backup running back in the country. Both are going to get a ton of snaps.

Unfortunately, the Ohio State Buckeyes don't have much behind those two in terms of depth. With the loss of TC Caffey for the season, they don't have any other running backs who have taken a collegiate snap. There have been talks about using Caleb Downs as a running back in spots. What are the odds that happens?

Will the Ohio State football team use Caleb Downs at running back?

When asked about this possibility, Ryan Day mentioned that Downs will stay at safety to start out. Downs is perhaps the best safety in the country as a sophomore, so that is going to be his primary focus. That's why the Buckeyes brought him in from Alabama.

Still, using Downs as a running back is an intriguing possibility. Why not use one of your most dynamic players on offense if you need to? If either Henderson or Judkins gets hurt, they could be inclined to use him. I won't say it definitely won't happen, but it still seems unlikely.

The Ohio State football team is going to be led by the defense again this season. Downs is a big part of that defense. It doesn't make sense to risk him getting hurt at running back unless they get desperate. With him in the secondary, the Buckeyes have the best secondary in the country.

Fall camp is going to be important for the Buckeyes to build that depth behind those top two running backs. How well that happens determines if Downs will be used on offense.