Ohio’s running back corps rushed for 2,390 yards last season. Beau Blankenship was responsible for 1,604 of them — more than 3.5 times more than the Bobcats’ next-best runner.
The story has been the same for Ohio during this spring season, as Blankenship has continued to dominate the Bobcats’ backfield because of injuries to Ryan Boykin, Daz’mond Patterson and Brian Palmero.
Of Ohio’s rostered running backs, only Blankenship, a redshirt senior, and Kyle Hammonds, a redshirt sophomore, have been active of late.
Ohio offensive coordinator Tim Albin said practicing with fewer backs hasn’t altered the Bobcats practice plans but has prevented them from running out some of their plays as usual.
“Whenever you get through the line of scrimmage, you’re in a 30-yard sprint,” he said. “When you’re going 85-90 snaps per practice, guys run out of gas. When you have five or six running backs the guys are fresh enough to do the 30-yard sprint.”
Ohio found out this week that it would have one of its backs return to the field sooner than anticipated, though.
It was originally estimated that Patterson, a sophomore, would be out of action for six or seven months with a shoulder injury, but because of new developments he will be back on the field by June.
Patterson had surgery Friday to remove a cist on his shoulder that doctors thought was caused by a shoulder injury he had suffered in high school. They found that not to be the case, however, and that he will be ready to go for much of Ohio’s summer practice schedule.
Boykin, a redshirt senior who played only seven games in 2012 because of injury, should be ready for live snaps by that time as well.
“Sometime in June he’ll get going where he’s running full speed,” Albin said. “He’s been very passionate about his rehab on his knee and I think is making progress.”
Palmero, a redshirt sophomore, has also been hampered by a hamstring injury this spring.
Blankenship said the only tangible change on the practice field for Ohio has been taking longer rests between snaps, but acknowledged that the backfield feels different without Boykin and Patterson beside him.
“It’s been hard taking more reps,” he said. “We’re down a few guys. It’s spring ball and something we have to deal with.”
Filling in with a couple carries here and there is Ohio junior tight end Tim Edmond — a converted linebacker that Albin looks for to shoulder a heavy load in the trenches.
Albin expects him to take some handoffs but focus on blocking and catching passes out of the backfield.
It’s nothing Edmond is unfamiliar with, as he played running back for La Salle High School (Cincinnati) before attending Hutchinson Community College (Kan.), where he was converted to a linebacker.
It’s a change that Edmond embraces.
“The running backs are all great, so it only feels right to try to burst open a hole to see their talents by going 60 yards and feeling good,” he said. “It feels like you’re the key guy to getting the 60-yard touchdown. It feels like you’re celebrating too, like you scored.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
