It might sound a little bizarre, but the Ohio State football program is getting a running back transfer that’s going to work on playing linebacker for the program.
Former Arizona State running back DeaMonte Trayanum announced on Christmas day that he’ll be transferring to Ohio State and moving to the defensive side of the ball. For the Akron native, it’s an opportunity to come home as well. He was the No. 5 ranked Ohio high school player in the 2020 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Maybe it sounds like an experiment, and it might be to some extent, but let us remind you that Steele Chambers moved from running back to linebacker and turned out to be arguably OSU’s best at the position last season. There are some depth and youth concerns at the position, so adding another body that has the athleticism to make a difference makes a lot of sense.
Trayanum would have been on the shortlist to be the Sun Devils’ starting running back next season had he not decided to transfer. He ran the ball 127 times for 692 yards and 10 touchdowns this fall as a backup and would have been the back with the most experience heading into the 2022 season.
Believe it or not, Trayanum will still have four years of eligibility left if he chooses because of the extra year afforded to college athletes last season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He only played in four games this fall, so that too can be considered a redshirt year.
Welcome aboard DeaMonte!
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