Following last week’s Student Appreciate Day practice, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke of the depth his team has at running back, even bringing attention to walk-on running back TC Caffey as someone who can provide a boost for the Buckeyes this season.
“The other guy who’s been very, very good in there and I think is going to play for us and get carries for us is TC Caffey,” Day said. “He’s done a very good job, he’s very disciplined in his approach and he’s a guy that can really bring value for us.”
That value was evident back in 2022, when Caffey scored his first – and to this point, only – career touchdown, a 49-yarder against Toledo that showed the walk-on could be a valuable member of Ohio State’s rotation at running back. But last year was cut short after a torn ACL, relegating him to the sideline for most of the campaign.
But now healthy and looking to add for the Buckeyes, Caffey said it meant a lot for Day to single him out as a potential contributor.
“I put in work,” he said on Wednesday. “We’ve got this saying in the running back room, and that’s keep stacking days. That’s what I’ve been trying to do, try to build myself for the team that can contribute and bring a good part to the team.”
There are no shortage of running backs ahead of Caffey on the depth chart, with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins set to split carries with Dallan Hayden, James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon also on scholarship. But as he goes through another spring with the Buckeyes, he’s looking to establish himself as a physcial presence and earn valuable reps for Ohio State.
“Something that I try to focus on is my physicality,” he said. “Trying to run through the back of the defense, giving good effort to really show in these practices that aren’t, like, really trying to be physical to where we’re going to the ground, but still showing effort, showing that I know my stuff mentally and physically.
