Ohio State will roll out 16 new starters when it kicks off the 2016 campaign against Bowling Green on September 3, but no player will have bigger shoes to fill than running back Mike Weber.
The redshirt freshman has an elite skill set and a ton of potential, but he's been tasked with replacing one of the most productive running backs in Ohio State history. That distinction belongs to Ezekiel Elliott, the blazer who amassed 4,125 total yards and 41 rushing touchdowns during a two-year stretch when the Buckeyes went 26-2 and won a national championship.
And Elliott himself was filling a big hole when he assumed the starting role in 2014. He was the successor to Carlos Hyde, who paced Ohio State's offense with 2,690 total yards and 35 total touchdowns from 2012-13.
That's the expectation that has been set for the Buckeyes' running backs under head coach Urban Meyer. Since taking over in 2012, Meyer's primary ball-carriers have averaged 1,547.5 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns per season.
Would it be fair to expect Weber to produce similar numbers?
There's plenty of hope for Buckeyes fans, because by all accounts, Weber looks like a superstar in the making.
He was primed to make his debut as a true freshman last year after breaking out in the first half of fall camp. In a wide open battle for the backup running back spot behind Elliott, Weber was surging with his rare blend of speed and power and showcasing why he was a consensus 4-star blue chip in the 2015 recruiting class.
But he was at his best in a scrimmage during fall camp. He reportedly ran the ball 15 times for nearly 200 yards with "a few touchdowns," according to Dave Biddle of 247Sports. Everything was setting up for Weber to make an immediate impact and get acclimated to the collegiate game in his first season with the Buckeyes.
Just three days after that scrimmage, though, his season was derailed when he suffered a torn meniscus in his knee that required surgery. It was an injury that was only supposed to keep him on the sideline for a few weeks. But during that stretch, Elliott proved he could carry the load without a primary backup, and the coaching staff decided to redshirt Weber.
The hard-nosed running back stayed engaged, though, and he took his time on the bench to learn from one of college football's best running backs during the 2015 season. That time on the sideline gave him a glimpse into his future, according to Ari Wasserman of the Plain Dealer:
I started off really good. I kind of caught on to the college speed of the game really quick and was basically running the ball really good. The injury slowed me down a little bit. It kind of set me back this whole year and maybe pushed me toward a redshirt.
But if I had to do it again, I'd be a redshirt because I learned from Zeke and the guys in front of me. I just sat back and watched those guys. I am just going to let it all loose next year.
He continued his strong play in spring practice, when he and redshirt senior Bri'onte Dunn battled in a neck-and-neck race for the starting spot. That race was supposed to reach its conclusion in fall camp, but Dunn was dismissed from the program in July for violating team rules.
That thrust Weber into the spotlight as a potential featured back in Ohio State's offense. But is the redshirt frosh ready for that big of a role?
Center Pat Elflein, one of the clear-cut leaders of the team, retold a recent conversation he had with the young running back.
“He realizes there are a lot of people counting on him to play well this year," Elflein said, via Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch. "I told him, 'You have millions of people—Buckeye Nation—counting on you to make plays every Saturday.' He goes, 'Wow, that’s a lot of pressure.'"
That certainly is a lot of pressure, because since the start of the 2012 season, Ohio State has run its offense through its running backs. First it was Hyde, a bruiser who gained chunks of yards at a time. Then it was Elliott, who blew past defenses with his otherworldly speed.
Weber could be a blend of the two, and that's what has his teammates so excited for his debut season.
"We saw him practice last year in camp and he was really balling out," Elflein said, via Rabinowitz. "It was unfortunate he got hurt and had Zeke in front of him. Now it’s his time to shine. He’s had a great summer that’s set him up for a great camp and a great season."
Will that great season see him hit the 1,500-yard rushing benchmark that Hyde and Elliott set? That's hard to imagine in his first crack at the college level, but everything is setting up for him to have a breakout year.
All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.
David Regimbal is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.
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