Dallan Hayden wasn't expected to be a key contributor during the 2022 season.
Yet, due to injuries and the type of player he has already shown he is and can be, Hayden has proven to be a guy that Ryan Day can rely on.
At the start of fall camp, the true freshman – ranked as the No. 19 running back (No. 226 overall) in the 2022 recruiting class – was RB4 on the depth chart, behind TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Evan Pryor. Then, less than three weeks before the season was set to kick off, Pryor suffered a season-ending knee injury, moving Hayden to the third spot on the depth chart. Then, in Week 3 against Toledo, Henderson suffered a leg injury, an injury that re-emerged two weeks later and the sophomore hasn't been the same since while being held out of two of the four games after the second injury. To top it off, Williams suffered a hand injury against Penn State on October 29. Fast forward to this past Saturday, and he left the game against Indiana due to another injury.
When you add all of that together, it has turned into a number of changes on Ohio State's roster, including Xavier Johnson being used as a hybrid running back, Chip Trayanum – a running back at Arizona State before transferring to Ohio State to be a linebacker – transitioning back to running back and fullback Mitch Rossi lining up at tailback at times. It has also led to Hayden having a much more significant role in Ohio State's offense this season than anyone could have expected. He has made the most of the opportunity, especially while getting acclimated to everything that goes into college ball – both on and off the field – in his first season as a Buckeye.
"The talent was there, it's a matter of how quickly can they assimilate," Day said of Hayden. "How quickly can they get into the program and the culture and can they sustain over an extended period of time with all of the things that we ask of them. ... Just the daily grind of being a college football player as a freshman. That's really what you're not sure about with a young player.”
In seven games this season, Hayden has totaled 73 carries for 357 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. The first-year running back has shined his brightest when the team has needed him the most, with his best performance coming this past Saturday against the Hoosiers. With Henderson missing the game and Williams suffering an ankle injury just before halftime that forced him to miss the rest of the game, Hayden became the guy alongside C.J. Stroud in the backfield. It turned into the true freshman totaling a career-high 19 carries and one of the best games of his career to date.
Dallan Hayden, folks. pic.twitter.com/Odq7vkTq0N
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 12, 2022
“I think Dallan had some really nice runs today,” Day said after Saturday's win over Indiana. “If it was a three-yard run, he was finishing at six. I think he's got good feet, good vision. He’s a really good young player.”
In games where Hayden has received double-digit carries, he averages 5.6 yards per carry, meaning that the more opportunities he receives, the better he does.
- Week 3 vs. Toledo: 17 carries, 108 yards and a touchdown
- Week 6 at Michigan State: 14 carries, 70 yards
- Week 11 vs. Indiana: 19 carries, 102 yards and a touchdown
On Saturday, Day acknowledged that Hayden and Johnson did a great job in their respective roles but remained frustrated at the number of injuries the Buckeyes have had to fight through in the running back room.
“I think both those guys (Hayden and Johnson) showed that they can do a good job,“ Day said. “I think it's pretty remarkable that we have that many guys who are capable. But whether it's Tre, Miyan or Chip, we're hoping to get all these guys back here as soon as we can. It's been frustrating, obviously, not having a full-strength room there. But I guess the positive spin on that is the toughness shown, and we've been able to keep that going.”
During his weekly segment on 97.1 The Fan's Buckeye Roundtable Monday night, Day discussed the running back situation in detail.
"We want to get guys back. We want to get as healthy a room as we possibly can," Day said. "I think we can do that here in pretty short order. But they're gonna have to really do a great job with their rehab and make sure that they're doing their part on it. But the great news is that we have shown depth, and that's been huge for us this year. If we're gonna reach our goals, we're certainly gonna need a running back room that's at full capacity."
On Tuesday, the head coach stated that the Buckeyes "have a really good chance" to get Henderson, Williams, and Trayanum back for the Maryland game this week.
The more healthy running backs the Buckeyes have, the better, obviously. That said, Hayden has shown he can be relied on to make plays. He has exceeded expectations when thrown into the fire so far, but the biggest test could be in less than two weeks when Ohio State hosts Michigan in what could be a top-three matchup between two undefeated teams for a spot in the Big Ten Championship. Depending on who's healthy, Hayden could be relied upon to play a key role in The Game.
So far, so good, and the true freshman already has the trust of Day, too, which is vitally important.
“Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for them to get on the field. For Dallan, first off, he's taking care of the ball. That's the No. 1 job as a running back,” Day said on Tuesday. “Then, from there, he's been able to go play and not let the moment be too big for him.
“He runs with good vision. He's got good quickness, good feet in the hole. He accelerates through the hole. I think the best thing he's doing is just trusting his instincts and going out and play and not let the moment get too big for him. If he can keep building on that and growing on that, he's got a bright future ahead of him.”
