From the moment Ezekiel Elliott left Columbus for the 2016 NFL Draft, fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes have turned their collective attention to Mike Weber. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound running back entered college as a much-ballyhooed prospect, and now, Weber has officially earned the nod as the top ball-carrier for Urban Meyer's club.
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It should be noted that Weber and fellow back Curtis Samuel are "co"-starters at this stage, though Samuel is a more versatile and dynamic player who could see time at H-Back and other positions on the field. With that, Meyer was asked about his new starting running back, and he provided a glowing review of Weber (via Cleveland.com):
"That's a Cadillac position in college football right now," Meyer said. "That's (Weber's) spot. When you think of the starting tailbacks that have been here, very confident, or he wouldn't be the starting tailback. His last 10 days have been outstanding."
The Big Ten is loaded with returning talent at running back, with Penn State's Saquon Barkley, Wisconsin's Corey Clement and even Michigan's De'Veon Smith receiving extensive attention in the off-season. Still, Ohio State has been churning out elite backs in recent seasons (remember Carlos Hyde?) and the Buckeyes should have yet another gem in the form of Mike Weber.
