Who's gone
For the second straight year, Ohio's running back group will be in a position of continuity. Ohio will see the departure of two sixth-year running backs who provided the group with depth in Julian Ross and Jake Neatherton. Neatherton and Ross played significant roles in Ohio's 45-24 win over Buffalo in the absence of 2022 leading rusher Sieh Bangura, but for the season as a whole, they were the third and fourth leading rushers at the running back position for the 2022 season.
Who's returning
In a season full of pleasant surprises for Ohio's offense, perhaps the biggest was the emergence of redshirt freshman running back Bangura, who accumulated 1,078 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season. For his efforts, Bangura was named Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year and third-team All-MAC. Bangura was also the leading pass catcher from Ohio's 2022 running back group.
Ohio is one of the few teams in the FBS to return multiple team-leading rushers. Ohio's most experienced running back, O'Shaan Allison led the team in rushing in 2019. Allison was the second leading rusher at the running back position in 2020 and 2021, before missing all of 2022 due to injury.
Nolan McCormick started two games for the Bobcats, appearing in 13 of 14 games. McCormick's 235 rushing yards were the second-most at the running back position.
Who's returning
The Bobcats will also return Bryce Kitrell, Quintell Quinn, who made the transition from linebacker after his freshman year, and Devon Hunter.
Position outlook
The Bobcats are adding two true freshman running backs to the room, Rickey Hunt, a three-star recruit from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Aginon Wilson Jr. from Cleveland, Ohio.
The Bobcats' running back group has not gotten the attention that the wide receivers have, but they deserve it. A fully healthy Allison and Bangura could make for one of the best running back duos in the conference. McCormick also proved to be a very capable runner in 2022 and should ensure the Bobcats are in good hands even if Allison or Bangura face injury or fatigue.
Ohio has typically relied on their Quarterback to pick up yards in the running game, but with starting Quarterback Kurtis Rourke coming off a season-ending ACL injury, Ohio's running backs will likely need to put more weight on their shoulders. The Bobcats' overall depth and high-end talent should allow the team to take pressure off the Quarterback if needed.
Although the national spotlight has been on the Bobcats' passing attack, which looks to be one of the best in the MAC, the talent and depth of a running back room, which includes Bangura and Allison, will make it difficult for college football to overlook.