It’s a long and distinguished tradition at Ohio State. J.K. Dobbins, Ezekiel Elliott, Beanie Wells, Maurice Clarett, Eddie George, Archie Griffin and his pair of Heisman Trophies, back to guys like Hopalong Cassady and Vic Janowitz. Being RB1 at Ohio State takes a special player. TreVeyon Henderson is a special player. But is he an RB1-at-OSU-as-a-true-freshman kind of special player? As the opener at Minnesota approaches, the answer more and more appears to be “Yes.”

It’s not exactly like TreVeyon Henderson came out of nowhere. A standout wide receiver and defensive back at Hopewell (Virginia) High, Henderson shifted to running back in his junior season. And then came the accolades — 2,424 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns that year, being honored as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia as a junior as he led Hopewell to a second consecutive state championship.

Which led to the scholarship offers, the All-America honors, and the ranking as 247sports.com’s top running back in the 2021 recruiting class. Despite a multitude of scholarship offers from virtually a who’s who of Power 5 football, Henderson shut down his recruiting early with a March 2020 commitment to Ohio State, where he was the first 5-star running back to sign since Beanie Wells a decade and a half before.

While COVID-19 shut down Virginia high school football for 2020, Henderson spent the down time honing his skills. He told Sports Illustrated in October 2020 that he had put on 15 pounds of muscle and was running faster than ever in his workouts with a track coach. For a guy who ran a sub-11 second 100 yard dash, faster is no small thing. Henderson wasn’t shy about his goals for college, either.

“I see myself fitting in great there,” Henderson told SI. “I see the role J.K. Dobbins played … and they see me playing the same exact role. I’m ready for that.”

Big words, but would spring 2021 present a dose of reality?

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Spring practice

Henderson was one of 13 Ohio State signees who enrolled early and could participate in spring practice. As he had missed the 2020 season entirely, Henderson could be forgiven if he struggled to pick up the pace and intensity of college football. But he didn’t struggle. Henderson was the third Buckeyes freshman to lose his black stripe, the ritual of progression for all OSU newcomers.

Even before the spring game, OSU coach Ryan Day told the media that Henderson “has done everything right so far … he’s done everything we asked him to do.”

Still, in a backfield with veteran Master Teague, bruiser Miyan Williams and more experienced standouts like Steele Chambers, it was time to temper expectations, surely. Not so much.

In a game with only 67 total rushing yards (thanks to impact with the ballcarrier ending the play immediately), Henderson took advantage of just 6 carries to total 26 of those yards. He also caught 5 passes, not just more than the other backs, but more than All-America wide receiver candidates Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. More than the raw numbers, though, Henderson carried himself like anything but a raw freshman. Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson praised his work not only in rushing, but in pass protection and receiving.

Game time

When OSU opened fall camp last Wednesday, in the initial running back reps, Henderson was running … fourth-team. The inevitable moment when youth catches up? Wouldn’t bet on it.

Henderson was seeing an even number of reps with the veterans ahead of him, and there’s every indication that his playing time will come soon and be frequent.

Coach Day recently commented, “He is low maintenance, high effort and has a lot of talent. … I think he has a chance to be special.”

Faster than the fastest, surprisingly strong in his maturing frame, Henderson looks increasingly like the home run threat that Day needs. In fact, he looks so much like that home run threat that everybody gets just a little crazy thinking about what comes next.

The future?

Indeed, the hype around Williams is so strong that one OSU site was contemplating Henderson for a potential Mount Rushmore of OSU backs. That’s before his first collegiate snap, yes.

So if that does seem a little unlikely (at least for the moment), what does come next for Henderson? Well, starting as a true freshman is unusual, but OSU did have a true frosh running back in 2017 with Dobbins. Of course, Dobbins grabbed the job in part due to an injury to Mike Weber. While no one likes to anticipate such events, Henderson could use a little help jumping the depth chart. Like Wally Pipp with the New York Yankees long ago, whose day off opened the door for Lou Gehrig, an untimely headache for Teague or Williams might be a key component of early opportunity.

Even if Henderson doesn’t start, what about a 1,000-yard season as a true freshman? Only 4 OSU backs have managed 1,000 rushing yards as freshmen, three as true freshmen (Dobbins, Clarett and Robert Smith). Given the potency of OSU’s offense and the odds that a new QB will lean heavily on the ground game, it’s a possibility, even for a part-time starter.

The ultimate challenge? A national title would certainly go a long way to make Henderson an all-time Buckeyes legend. Maybe even contention for another OSU Heisman Trophy?

But for now, before anyone projects TOO far ahead, savor the moment. With the season opener creeping closer, it’s like the calm before the ball is snapped. Take this second to enjoy the possibilities, and the fact that whatever TreVeyon Henderson does, while it may be comparable or similar or reminiscent of those who came before, it’ll be his very own moment. Because once that first snap comes for him, college football may not be quite the same. And that doesn’t feel like an exaggeration.