Ohio State football running back Miyan Williams announces return for fourth season
Joey KaufmanOhio State running back Miyan Williams is putting off entering the NFL draft.
Williams, who led the Buckeyes in rushing this past season, will remain in school for a fourth year, he confirmed to The Dispatch. He has at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.
In subtle posts shared on social media websites Instagram and Twitter on Thursday, he wrote, “Unfinished business.”
Williams spent much of 2022 as the Buckeyes’ top running back after TreVeyon Henderson suffered a fracture and a torn ligament in his left foot in September, an injury that limited him and was aggravated in October.
In 11 games, Williams rushed for 825 yards and 14 touchdowns, often tussling for tough yards.
His best stretch came early in the Big Ten schedule when he ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the conference opener against Wisconsin. In another rout of Rutgers the next week, he had a career day, springing for 189 yards on the ground with five touchdowns. His five scores tied a single-game school record with Pete Johnson and Keith Byars.
But injuries also held back Williams toward the end of the season. He injured his right ankle against Indiana in November, sidelining him for the following week at Maryland and limiting him to eight carries in a loss to Michigan to close the regular season.
After dealing with a stomach bug before the Buckeyes met Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia, he saw only three carries, though muscled into the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Ohio State could return its full complement of backs for next season along with Henderson, Dallan Hayden and Evan Pryor, none of whom are eligible to enter the draft. Chip Trayanum is also mulling a permanent switch to the position from linebacker after returning to the offensive side of the ball at midseason. Trayanum said last week it's his preference to stick it out in the backfield.
If Trayanum stays at running back, along with the returns of the other underclassmen, the Buckeyes would have five scholarship players at the position available for next fall.
Williams was an overlooked three-star recruit from Cincinnati and didn't receive a scholarship offer from Ohio State until he was a senior at Winton Woods High School, but didn't wait long to make an impact with the Buckeyes.
He started the opener in 2021 and finished his redshirt freshman season with 507 rushing yards and three touchdowns, forming a backfield duo with Henderson who broke out that fall as a true freshman.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.