Buckeye running back recruiting has been an interesting follow this cycle. At first, the staff definitely appeared to want two backs. Then, they had two with Todd Sibley and J.K. Dobbins. Sibley and Ohio State would ultimately part ways, and ever since then, Dobbins has been the lone commit at the position. However, that didn't stop Tony Alford and Ohio State from pursuing five-star Cam Akers all the way up until being eliminated from contention.
Dobbins is already on campus and looks to be completely healed after suffering a broken fibula on his first carry of the 2016 season. There had been chatter that the Texas star would look around if Ohio State were to land a commitment from Akers, and then things seemed to slow down a bit as it pertains to the Buckeyes targeting other backs.
Still, it was obvious early on that the goal was to bring in a pair of backs this cycle. With Dobbins now on campus and the dead period behind us, it looks like Ohio State may be reevaluating some options for the 2017 class.
But is that the right move?
| Player | Eligibility | Measurables | Career Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Weber | Sophomore (RS) | 5-foot-10, 212 pounds | 1,096 rushing yards, 9 TDs |
| Demario McCall | Sophomore | 5-foot-9, 182 pounds | 270 rushing yards, 3 TDs |
| Antonio Williams | Sophomore | 5-foot-11, 210 pounds | 28 rushing yards |
| J.K. Dobbins | Freshman | 5-foot-10, 200 pounds | NA |
The good news is that the current talent in the backfield is extremely young. The bad news could be that Demario McCall may move into more of a Curtis Samuel role and still needs to pack on some pounds before becoming an every-down player. Antonio Williams only had six carries as a true freshman, so it's hard to forecast what to expect from the sophomore to be.
The arrival of J.K. Dobbins is something to be excited about. Ohio State's historic defensive back class has been the focal point of many recruiting discussions, and many could be forgetting how good the four-star all-purpose back from La Grange is going to be. If he had been healthy as a senior, there's a chance he too could have reached five-star status.
Dobbins has about 20 pounds on McCall and recorded a 4.45 40-yard dash over the summer. Mike Weber will certainly be the lead guy again in 2017, but Dobbins and McCall both have an explosive element that neither Weber nor Williams appear to possess.
Ohio State currently has 19 commitments in the class with nine of those already having enrolled. There's likely room for about three or four more before the 2017 class is wrapped up. Offensive line and defensive tackle have been the positions we've talked about most, but a number of tailbacks appear to be gaining some steam with Tony Alford and the Buckeyes.
Scanning through the list of the country's top backs, and one will notice that the pickings are fairly slim, which is no surprise as signing day is inching closer and closer. Flips are certainly a possibility, but right now only four of the top 25 backs are uncommitted.
If Ohio State does elect to bring in one more, it's reasonable to assume the staff will be looking at more of a bigger back to go along with what's currently on the roster. Pickerington's Morgan Ellison has been the hottest name lately, having received a call from Alford last week. The one-time Ohio Bobcat commit has dreamt of being a Buckeye, so an offer would certainly shakeup his recruitment in a big way.
“He [Alford] thinks I can play there and they want another running back,” Ellison told Eleven Warriors.
The question here for the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder revolves around his injury history. In the second game of his sophomore season, Ellison suffered a compound fracture in his right leg. The injury led to him missing the rest of his sophomore year and all of his junior season. Since recovering, he's bounced back nicely having rushed for 1,841 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior. He was also named MVP of The Opening regionals held in Columbus last spring.
Ellison decommitted from Ohio University yesterday and is likely to end up at a more prestigious football program, assuming his academics are in order. There's no question he would be ranked higher had it not been for the injury. It'll be interesting to watch how much contact Ohio State maintains over the next two weeks as he is now scheduled to announce on national signing day.
Memphis, Tennessee's Cordarrian Richardson is currently listed as the No. 6 tailback in the country, and his recruitment appears to be totally wide open. Some have speculated that the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder may end up pursuing a JUCO path, but the former Clemson commit is looking to take a number of visits later this month.
If you're one of those people who follows the crystal ball, then this is one that probably isn't worth paying much attention to right now. Florida State already has two of the nation's top backs in five-star Cam Akers and four-star all-purpose back Khalan Laborn, so that seems rather unlikely.
The Spartans have pledges from two Ohio tailbacks in Akron's Weston Bridges and Piqua's Darien Clemons. Mark Dantonio also has Michigan State out in front for New Jersey three-star Johnathan Lovett, and a commitment could be coming soon following his weekend trip to East Lansing.
Right now, Richardson is expected to check out Oregon, Memphis, Michigan State, and Ole Miss in the coming weeks, but the Memphis side is making it sound like those plans could change now that the four-star has been hearing from the Buckeyes and Wolverines ($).
Again, it's worth keeping an eye on how much contact the Ohio State staff makes over the next couple of weeks, and a trip to Columbus – if it were to transpire – would likely be very telling.
Outside of Ellison and Richardson, there really aren't a lot of options out there right now. The staff could always circle back on an in-state kid like the aforementioned Weston Bridges or swing for the fences on a highly rated national prospect that's committed elsewhere. Players like Tennessee commit Ty Chandler and Georgia pledge D'Andre Swift would each fit that bill, but it's tough to call them anything more than pipe dreams at this point in the process.
There's also the option of just standing pat with Dobbins, the country's No. 40 overall prospect for 2017. Brian Snead – the fourth-rated back in the Class of 2018 – is already in the fold, but a wiseman once said that a verbal from a Florida kid this early in the process merely tells you that he's interested in your program. Westerville's Jaelen Gill is expected to join the class at some point, but the do-it-all star could end up playing a number of different positions at the next level.
While the staff indicated to Ellison that they're looking for another tailback, this looks to be one of the more intriguing storylines as signing day fast approaches.
