Son of former Tennessee great is expected to redshirt at Ohio State in 2023 despite solid true freshman season
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day suggested this week that second-year running back Dallan Hayden, a former four-star recruit, will likely redshirt this season due to not being one of OSU's top three running backs on the roster. "Dallan’s great about it," said Day. "And if it’s appropriate, he will go in because he […]
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day suggested this week that second-year running back Dallan Hayden, a former four-star recruit, will likely redshirt this season due to not being one of OSU's top three running backs on the roster.
"Dallan’s great about it," said Day. "And if it’s appropriate, he will go in because he still has four games to play. And then we wouldn’t burn a whole year of eligibility with Dallan as we look into the future."
“Because we do think he’s great," added Day. "We think he’s a really good player. We got three guys already there. So that’s kind of the conversation that we had. He was great. He’s working hard.”
Hayden appeared to respond to Day's comments via a tweet that simply said "All in God's plan".
Hayden, who is the son of former Tennessee Vols running back Aaron Hayden, had a solid true freshman season for the Buckeyes last season, rushing for 553 yards and five touchdowns (5.0 yards per carry).
Ohio State is using Deamonte Trayanum, TreVeyon Henderson, and Miyan Williams as their top three running backs.
Williams is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry while Trayanum is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Henderson leads the way at 6.7 yards per carry.
Hayden, who has just one catch for -2 yards this season, is talented enough that if he has a big redshirt sophomore season in 2024, he could easily declare for the NFL draft, so the redshirt season this year doesn't really help him much…if any.
It's an odd decision by Ohio State. Hayden's impressive production as a true freshman suggests he could've been a beast for the Buckeyes this season. But instead, Day is electing to keep him on the bench.
Hayden, based on his tweet and Day's comments, seems to be on board with the decision, though I'm sure he's eager to hit the field and prove that he's the best running back on the roster (as any competitor should feel).
The game plan the Tennessee Vols will need to use to beat Texas A&M is obvious
The Vols and the Aggies will face off on Saturday in Neyland Stadium
