Buckeyes RB Chip Trayanum Embracing Hybrid Role

The Ohio State Buckeyes may have found the 2023 version of Xavier Johnson in running back Chip Trayanum.

Ohio State's Cade Stover was one of the best receiving tight ends in the nation last week for players with at least 30 snaps, taking the top spot for the Buckeyes' offensive Pro Football Focus grade.

The No. 2 spot wasn't taken by wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. or Emeka Egbuka, quarterback Kyle McCord, guard Donovan Jackson or even running backs TreVeyon Henderson or Miyan Williams. No, that honor belonged to third-string running back Chip Trayanum, who did a little bit of everything against the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday — an indication of an expanding role for the Buckeyes' ball-carrier this season.

"It's fun just because my love for the game and just because my love to the team," Trayanum said. "I just like being on the field regardless, and I'm a competitor. Whatever role I can compete and maximize on the field, that's what I'm going to do."

When Trayanum transferred from Arizona State before the 2022 season, he made a positional switch from running back to linebacker to provide depth behind Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers among others.

However, after mainly being a special teams piece for the Buckeyes, injuries to TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Evan Pryor forced Trayanum to make the move back to running back. He rushed for 83 yards on 14 carries against Michigan in 2022.

Against Indiana, Trayanum was the Buckeyes' leading rusher with 57 yards on eight totes, catching one pass for 12 yards to pick up a third-and-8 en route to a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

The Akron, Ohio, native played 12 snaps on special teams Saturday, but spent 18 snaps at halfback, four at fullback — even though head coach Ryan Day described him as just "a big running back" — and two at tight end. Head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that Trayanum's role is similar to that of wide receiver Xavier Johnson's last season.

"When you can do a lot of those things, then you can really create stress on a defense," Day said. "Those hybrid kind of guys that give you a lot of things, and so excited to see where that goes. The one thing we just always have to be careful of is when those guys can do a lot, you can do a lot too. We have to make sure we're doing what we do really well and playing fast."

Trayanum said he began cross-training for this hybrid role throughout the summer, working with the tight ends and wide receivers in addition to his running back duties. He added there hasn't been that much of a learning curve because as a ball-carrier "you've got to know everybody's blocks."

It's unlikely Trayanum will be Ohio State's leading rusher every week, but he isn't worried about personal accolades. He said if one running back is successful then it reflects well on the whole room and he's just focused on doing what the coaches ask of him.

"I just worked hard, kept my head down and stayed ready," Trayanum said. "I'm going to maximize whatever role that's given to me, whether that's blocking, whether that's being a running back, whether that's flexing out, coming in, crunch blocking. I'm just going to do my best because I'm a competitor, and, at the end of the day, I want to compete."