Ohio State running back Trey Sermon rose to stardom after the injury to former starting Buckeye running back Master Teague III. In Sermon’s first game as a feature back in the Big Ten championship game, he carried the ball 29 times for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns. That total broke Eddie George’s Buckeyes record for most rushing yards in a single game.
Sermon, the former 4-star recruit from Sprayberry High School, starting his collegiate career at Oklahoma. After a lack of involvement in the offense, he decided to transfer to Ohio State.
Senior Season Stats
Again, for the majority of the year, Sermon wasn’t the main back for the Buckeyes. Despite the light workload in the beginning of the season, he still managed to rack up 870 yards on 116 carries along with four touchdowns. The 7.5 yards a carry is very impressive and should be highlighted on each and every NFL team’s scouting report.
Strengths
Sermon is a rather big running back, as he is listed at 6’1″, 215 pounds. With his size, he also has great vision, which is maybe his greatest strength. As a bigger running back, it is important to find the holes and hit them, which he does. He also the ability to make people miss in the open field with his above average agility.
A commonly overlooked trait in a running backs game is pass protection. Sermon can catch the ball, yes, but he is even better at protecting the quarterback in the backfield.
Weaknesses
Sermon’s lack of a burst of speed on breakaway runs leaves a lot to be desired. Although he can make a defender miss, he relies heavily on blocking down field for long runs. Another downside to his game is his run after catch ability. Yes, he does have good hands, however, he doesn’t do much after the catch. He also struggled a bit in the short yardage game this year.
Comparison and Draft Projection
Comparison – Alexander Mattison
Draft Projection – Round 3, Pick 4 (Atlanta Falcons)
Sermon will be a decent early down back for a zone running team like the Falcons. He will contribute a fair amount to whatever team that drafts him. If the Falcons don’t re-sign Gurley or find one in free agency, I can see them waiting until the later rounds to find a running back to pair with Ito Smith.