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Question: How will losing Evan Pryor affect the Ohio offense?
As all Buckeye fans probably know by this point, former four-star redshirt freshman Evan Pryor will reportedly miss the entire 2022 college football season after picking up an injury this week. He was almost certainly No. 3 on the Ohio State running back depth chart, but could steal a few carries from starter Trebillon Henderson and second option Myan Williams while still grasping the passing game. It was expected.
Reports from offseason workouts show that Pryor appeared in four games in his first season at Columbus, rushing for 98 yards before catching up with the dynamic and pace from the larger, physically taller Henderson and Williams. It was that I was working on options to change.
There are clearly a lot of differences between the top two backs on the team, both with their own dynamism, but Pryor is nearly 20 to 30 pounds lighter than his backfield brothers, giving the stable an explosion of different styles. Brings the elusive with sex.
While most fans and onlookers were fairly relieved to admit that there was a fairly large gap in terms of expected usage between Pryor and the top two Bucks, the former’s exciting skill set was a It was a popular preseason puzzle piece that many hoped the Buckeye coaching staff could do. Plug into the offensive plan.
Many have pointed out that Pryor’s departure for the season likely won’t have much of an impact on the overall picture of how the Buckeyes deploy their Buck executive, and it’s almost certain. Henderson and Williams would have borne the bulk of the carry if Prior had been available, and would bear the lion’s share of the carry without him. I agree that Pryor’s injury likely won’t pose much of a problem for OSU’s offense.
Of course, losing a talented back like him is never ideal and hinders overall depth in the position. However, the Buckeyes still have true freshman Darlan Hayden and plenty of warm bodies to fill any workload gaps that may appear during the season. If so, the absence of Pryor would certainly be a problem.
But for me, the biggest impact of losing Prior on the season will be the Buckeyes’ ability to throw yet another offensive weapon against the best teams on the schedule. Literally second to none, the team’s 1-2 punches from Henderson and Williams rival nearly any backfield in the country. But all the unique options can make a difference if the team wants to move up to the championship level.
When the Buckeyes play Arkansas State or Toledo, does it matter that Pryor is there? Absolutely not.like Wisconsin Michigan? Probably not. Pennsylvania and he TTUN?I still think probably not.
What about Georgia or Alabama? Here, Prior’s absence can have an impact. I love his TreVeyon Henderson and assuming Ryan Day gives him enough carry and the offensive line gives him enough room to run, he could be the best running back in the country. i think it has a personality.
I think the reason I love college football is also the Williams journey from random recruit to beloved folk hero among fans. Not the way.
Henderson certainly has a good amount of speed and cunning, and while “Porkchop” is far more elusive than his nickname and bowling-ball reputation give him, it gives Pryor space. , it’s very hard to beat him. Active in the spring tournament. The way the coaching staff used him to stretch the field and formation and as a pass-catching threat from the backfield was a good factor to force the Crimson Tide and/or the Bulldogs into a game plan in the playoffs. .
I expect Ohio State to have the most productive and dynamic offense in college football for the second year in a row. However, if the Buckeyes want to hit top-line goals on their collective to-do list, they need to be able to beat the best team in the country, and extra help on the margins will help. And that’s where I think losing Pryor could end up hurting.
The Buckeyes currently have no multipurpose weapons from their arsenal. It may have rolled out only occasionally throughout the season, but if made available at the most opportune time, it would have given the team an extra element it didn’t need right now in the biggest game of the year.
