Ohio State RB Miyan Williams out for rest of season. What does it mean for Buckeyes?
Ohio State coach Ryan Day announced Tuesday that running back Miyan Williams will miss the rest of the season after a procedure on his knee. Here’s what you need to know:
- Williams rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns in six games this season while behind both TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum on the depth chart. He led the team in rushing in the win against Penn State.
- Last year, with Henderson limited, Williams led the Buckeyes with 825 yards and 14 TDs for the season.
- The 5-foot-9, 226-pound Williams is in his fourth season but eligible to return in 2024.
Where does Ohio State’s running back depth stand?
Injuries at running back aren’t new for the Buckeyes. Last year, Ohio State used every scholarship back that it had and even then had to move Trayanum from linebacker to running back because of injuries to Williams and Henderson.
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It’s a been a problem again this year, as Henderson and Williams were both ruled out against Purdue and Trayanum left the game in the first half with an injury. Ohio State was forced to lean on sophomore Dallan Hayden in that game.
Williams was the workhorse against Penn State with 24 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown, but Henderson returned against Wisconsin and ran for 162 yards with Williams unavailable again. Trayanum is also back in the fold and is second on the team with 270 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Ohio State’s run game as a whole hasn’t been great, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, but the return of Henderson provides a needed boost. Now, Williams being out for the year makes keeping Henderson healthy even more important.
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What does this mean for Hayden?
A four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Hayden has arguably been the second-best running back on the team behind Henderson.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore appeared in 10 games last year, rushing for 553 yards and five touchdowns. This year, however, Ohio State has been hesitant to use him, planning to redshirt him by playing him in four games or fewer. He’s appeared in two games thus far, catching a pass in the opener against Indiana and leading the team with 11 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in the Oct. 14 win against Purdue.
With just four games left on the regular-season schedule — Rutgers, Michigan State, Minnesota and Michigan — Ohio State is getting to the point where a decision will need to be made. If there’s another injury at running back, Day will be put in a tough position of deciding whether to burn Hayden’s eligibility, though he can still play in two more games and preserve the redshirt.
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(Photo: Ben Jackson / Getty Images)
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