Ohio State lost a lot of players to the NFL and graduation, but that’s life in the world of college football where there can be a ton of turnover year over year. The Buckeye program is one that reloads with blue-chip talent almost like none other, so there’s always another batch of recruits to come in and attempt to fill the void. They don’t always get significant playing time in year one, but every so often, that special freshman player enters the fray at just the right time and with just the right abilities to splash on the scene.
What we wonder heading into 2021 is if there’s a player that fits that bill on Ohio State’s roster for this fall? The Buckeyes got several four and five-star recruits, but is there one guy that stands out among the rest?
ESPN asked that very question (subscription required) for all the teams in its way-too-early top 25 college football teams for 2021. With that in mind, Tom VanHaaren identified the one player he believes is the most intriguing on the banks of the Olentangy in the fall.
NEXT … Ohio State football’s most intriguing newcomer per ESPN
Running Back TreVeyon Henderson
What ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren says
“There could be a few answers to this for Ohio State as the staff has the No. 1-ranked prospect overall in defensive end Jack Sawyer, the No. 5 pocket-passing quarterback in Kyle McCord and another great haul at receiver and defensive back. Those would all qualify considering the amount of talent in this class, but running back TreVeyon Henderson has a chance to really help this offense next season. Henderson is the No. 1 running back in the class, a five-star recruit who can do a little bit of everything. With Trey Sermon off to the NFL, Henderson has an opportunity to make an impact in the ground game.”
NEXT … What we say
What We Say
There’s no doubt that Henderson is entering a situation in which he’s going to have an opportunity to get on the field immediately. There are two guys that you have to believe are ahead of him before he gets on the practice field with Master Teague and Miyan Williams, but Henderson has a little more dynamic ability to him than those two.
As 2021’s top running back, Henderson comes with a huge upside and lofty expectations. It’ll be interesting to see if he can show some ability early enough in practice as an early enrollee to get a crack at competing for the starting job.
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