Three of those fabulous fill-ins showed up last Saturday when the Buckeyes trounced Indiana and could be called upon again this week when Ohio State travels to Maryland.
Most likely to be leaned on is Dallan Hayden, a true freshman running back from Memphis, Tenn., who picked up the slack last week when Miyan Williams suffered a lower leg injury in the second quarter.
“It was a crazy turn,” Hayden recalled of being thrust into action last Saturday. “Miyan was having a great game. Hate to see that happen. So it was just crazy at first, but I feel like as the game got longer, I did better. So I was mentally ready to go.”
He finished with 102 yards rushing credited running backs coach Tony Alford for preparing him, a job made more difficult because Hayden did not enroll in January like most top prospects do these days.
Hayden looked ticketed for fourth string when he arrived in June, but third-stringer Evan Pryor suffered a season-ending injury in August, and Williams and fellow-top-back TreVeyon Henderson have been in and out of the lineup with injuries most of the season.
The coaches hoped to add depth by moving Chip Trayanum to running back from linebacker a few weeks ago, but he was injured last week in practice.
That made Hayden the undisputed No. 2 back going into the Indiana game, and it forced the coaches to explore another contingency plan for depth late in the week: Xavier Johnson.
A fifth-year senior former walk-on, Johnson is at the opposite end of the experience spectrum as Hayden, and he has been a full-time receiver most recently.
“So to be honest, last week I actually didn’t play any running back until Thursday after practice,” Johnson said. “There was a mishap in practice that allowed for that.
“Now it’s kind of like I’m back. I’m bouncing back and forth (between positions).”
Ohio State football: Injuries present weekly challenges for Buckeyes https://t.co/mfAxlfR6yq
— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) November 17, 2022
That includes working on ball-handling with the quarterbacks and running routes with the receivers so he is ready if called upon in either situation.
Johnson also praised Alford for helping him develop and preparing Hayden for his bigger-than-expected role.
“Coach Alford does a heck of a job of getting people ready for games whether that’s you’re the first guy or you might be somebody who might be further down the line,” Johnson said. “So Dallan, he’s a grown man. He comes to work every day. He doesn’t like making mistakes. He’s very hard on himself. I think that those couple of things coupled together allows someone to be ready when their number’s called. It’s not something that happens by chance. He’s not out there just running around. He knows what he’s doing. He’s confident of himself and he’s ready to make that play when his number’s called.”
While Hayden has seen the field earlier than expected, Johnson had to wait almost five years to make an impact.
Even though he arrived as a walk-on from Cincinnati Summit Country Day, Johnson admitted that was not exactly what he envisioned early on.
“Well to be honest, I was a zealous freshman,” he said. “So even coming in, I was like, ‘I’m gonna do this my freshman year.’ I had high hopes for myself. The Lord had another plan. I was able to yield to His plan and keep beating on that rock.”
Hayden and Johnson would not have had as much room to run if not for a strong first start by Josh Fryar, who filled in for an injured Dawand Jones at right tackle.
Fryar found out he would be the guy shortly before kickoff and buried his pregame jitters by telling himself the game would be just like practice.
When it was over, though, he admitted to feeling a boost in confidence that could resonate into the future.
“I think it’s huge,” Fryar said. “I think the confidence is there, and like I said just to prove to myself and prove to my teammates that, ‘Hey I can play’ and to come back next year knowing I can play.”
Fryar said he does not expect to start this week, but he will be ready if called up.
So, too, are Hayden and Johnson.
While Henderson, Williams and Trayanum are expected to be available again before the season is over, it remains to be seen if any or all will be in the lineup Saturday.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Ohio State at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., ABC, 1410
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