2009-10 OSU Position Preview: Running Back

It’s no secret that with the departure of bruiser Chris “Beanie” Wells to the NFL after last year will definitely be a big loss for the Bucks, but with Terrelle Pryor at QB, OSU will more likely run out of a shotgun anyway, which probably wouldn’t have suited Beanie’s smash mouth style.

By David McKinney

This year, the backfield will be made up of a bunch of players with very few snaps. Daniel “Boom” Herron looks to be the favorite to start, and his hybrid slashing and between-the-tackles style could really help out the confidence level of Pryor if he turns it on. Brandon Saine was hurt last year, so he was unable to build upon his incredible freshman year, where he became the clear heir-apparent to Wells. Those two will likely get most of the snaps this year, but coach Jim Tressel is already looking for new blood to help fill Beanie’s shoes, including some players coming in this year, and some who won’t even sign until February.

Jaamall Berry is a slashing running back out of Miami, Florida, and the only thing that worries me about him is that he could be the next Maurice Wells. Wells had all of the talent to be a great slashing back, but he always settled for running between the tackles, where he was unable to use his speed. Berry is also a bit undersized at just 193 pounds, so the pounding of a Big Ten season may take its toll on him before long. Carlos Hyde – a bigger back who also has speed - was supposed to be the steal of this recruiting class, but he was declared ineligible and won’t step on campus until at least next year. Jordan Hall was a throw-in type player in this class and will probably be redshirted. Next year, however, the Bucks have already found a gem in 6’2”, 216-pound Roderick Smith out of Fort Wayne, IN. He probably lacks elite speed, but scouts rave about his “football speed,” and boast about his ability to separate from defenses. He should, however, be able to take a pounding between the tackles and could even bring back some fond memories of Beanie, the man they are all trying to replace.