Buckeyes true freshman running back Sam Williams-Dixon sheds black stripe
COLUMBUS — Ohio State true freshman running back Sam Williams-Dixon shed his black stripe Wednesday night.
Williams-Dixon played the first two games of the season, scattering six offensive snaps against Akron and Western Michigan.
Even in that limited action, he made his mark, carrying the ball four times for 44 yards. Most notably, the 5-foot-11, 203-pound back ripped off a 31-yard run in the final stages of a 56-0 victory over Western Michigan.
Williams-Dixon is one of two running backs in the Buckeyes’ 2024 class. He outproduced fellow true freshman running back and former four-star prospect James Peoples in the spring game but came in as the much lower-rated running back prospect. The Swiss Army knife-like Williams-Dixon gained a team-high 75 yards on the ground during the exhibition, even surging for a 22-yard touchdown in the second half. The three-star back, and On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 773 overall prospect in the 2024 class, also caught one pass for seven yards in the spring game.
Williams-Dixon is originally from Columbus but moved around throughout his high school career. He actually earned his Ohio State offer while attending West Holmes in Millersburg, Ohio. That’s where he ran for more than 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns as a junior. But he transferred to Pickerington North for his senior season.
He committed to the Buckeyes on April 15, 2023, about two weeks after Peoples did. Williams-Dixon described Ohio State as a “dream come true” during the recruiting process, and he could play an important role for the Buckeyes’ offense, if not this season sooner rather than later.
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Peoples emerged as Ohio State’s RB3 and has piled up 35 rushing attempts and 153 rushing yards, plus two touchdowns on the ground, this season. He and Williams-Dixon are both building confidence under the leadership of proven star running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.
“I feel very confident right now because I can take the meeting to the field any day, for real,” Williams-Dixon said back in August. “But I feel like, honestly, like with the guys in front me, Quinshon and Tre, they’ve got confidence in me, and when they have confidence in me, I have all the confidence in the world.”
Counting down
Ohio State at Penn State: 3 days
Ohio State vs. Indiana: 24 days
Ohio State vs. Michigan: 31 days
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