With All Of the Talk Surrounding Quarterbacks, Ohio State Running Back Ezekiel Elliott is Somehow Flying Under the Radar

By Tim Shoemaker on July 19, 2015 at 7:45 am
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It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which a player who ran for 696 yards and eight touchdowns over the final three games of the 2014 season and is a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite in 2015 could be flying under the radar, but it feels a little bit like that these days in Columbus.

With all of the attention — both nationally and locally — on Ohio State’s unprecedented quarterback battle, Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott has somehow managed to stay out of the spotlight for most of this offseason, despite a sophomore season where he ran for 1,878 yards — the second-most ever in a single season at Ohio State — and 18 touchdowns.

Being somewhat overshadowed by the budding quarterback competition doesn’t necessarily bother Elliott, however. In fact, he seems to kind of like it better that way.

“I mean, honestly I don't really care. I'm just here,” Elliott said Tuesday. “Heisman, that's going to come with whatever. My goal is another national championship. If the Heisman comes, it comes, but the national championship is more important.”

It’s the right response to the question, of course. Putting the team ahead of the individual is what any coach would want out of his players, especially a star player like Elliott.

But there’s no denying the Buckeyes wouldn’t be what they are without the 6-foot, 225-pound running back who is the perfect blend of power and speed for Urban Meyer’s spread offense. He’s the perfect compliment for whoever winds up winning that much-discussed quarterback battle.

“Just kind of thinking it being part of something you dream about as a kid. I've worked it, we've worked for it,” Elliott said. “My teammates are a big part of where I am right now. The Slobs are definitely the biggest part. Just gotta thank those guys and keep working.”

Perhaps what’s most impressive about Elliott’s breakout sophomore season one year ago was the fact he did it with just one hand. After undergoing surgery on his left wrist in preseason camp, Elliott could not carry the ball in his left hand throughout the entire 2014 season.

But the St. Louis native said his recovery is going well and he’s on track to be 100 percent healthy by the time fall camp rolls around in less than a month.

“My wrist is doing very well. I've gotten back to benching. I wouldn't say it's back to full strength yet, but we're getting there with the flexibility,” Elliott said. “Definitely no pain in it anymore just a little bit of stiffness. I will definitely be ready, full-go for the season.”

Elliott is not a forgotten part of Ohio State’s offense by any means. He just so happens to be on a team which has the most talked-about storyline in all of college football this season.

The Buckeyes snuck up on a few teams last year throughout their run to the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship. That won’t be the case this year, and Elliott certainly won’t surprise anyone himself, but right now all of the focus seems to be on Ohio State’s quarterback situation.

When the season starts, though, opposing defenses will have to account for both Elliott and the quarterback.

“I think defenses are going to have to pick their poison. We have a lot of weapons on offense,” Elliott said. “I don't think they can just play the run. I don't think they can just play the pass because we're such a balanced team.”

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