Wisconsin Football: Top Five Big Ten Running Backs

#5 – Mike Weber, Ohio State

If Ohio State’s Mike Weber had been healthy last season, he likely would have be higher on this list, or in the NFL at the moment.

A top-100 prospect coming out of high school, Weber lived up to the hype as a redshirt freshman in 2016. That year, he rushed for over 1,000 yards, one of only three freshmen in program history to do so. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American. He also earned second team All-Big Ten honors.

Last season, however, did not go as Weber and Buckeye fans would have hoped. He was plagued by a nagging hamstring injury that limited his productivity for a good chunk of the season. While Weber was injured, true freshman J.K. Dobbins then exploded onto the scene and earned a role as Urban Meyer’s feature back.

That being said, once Weber was healthy, he and Dobbins emerged as one of the top tandems in the nation. Despite being limited by his hamstring for a few months, he still put up 600-plus rushing yards on the season.

Despite the disappointing way 2017 played out for him, Weber still likely would have been drafted last April. Even with his injury history, some team undoubtedly would have a rolled the dice on his tools and production when healthy.

Unfortunately for Ohio State’s opponents, though, Weber decided to return to Columbus for his junior season.

That decision should pay off big-time for Weber and Ohio State. If he can remain healthy for the whole season, it would not be surprising to see him match or exceed his numbers from his big freshman season. The two-headed monster of he and Dobbins is going to cause fits for opposing defenses. Both players could easily exceed 1,000 yards on the ground.

If 2018 goes according to plan, Weber’s draft stock should benefit accordingly. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller recently listed him as the seventh-best running back prospect for the 2019 draft. However, if he can stay on the field all season, he has the talent to shoot up those rankings while helping the Buckeyes contend for a national title.