Ohio State running back Mike Weber plays during the spring game April 16, 2016, at Ohio Stadium.
CHICAGO — Mike Weber may not need a confidence boost.
Yet Ohio State coach Urban Meyer provided it in the most obvious way on Tuesday: he expects the former Cass Tech running back to start at the position for the Buckeyes as a redshirt freshman.
“His issue is he has to stay healthy,” Meyer said at the Big Ten media days at McCormick Place. “I like where he’s at, as far as his physical conditioning. I anticipate he will be the starting tailback.”
Meyer can say that with authority because he has taken a personal approach with Weber over the past two years, knowing he was the likely successor to star Ezekiel Elliott, who left after his junior year for the NFL.
“With a guy like Mike, who’s such a critical guy, I’m very close with him,” Meyer said, adding that strength coach Mickey Marotti and running backs coach Tony Alford played a major role as well. “That’s a Cadillac position in sports, one of them, is to be the starting tailback at Ohio State. And my name’s going to be on that, so I do spend a lot of time with him. (Assistant) Tony Alford’s done a really good job.”
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For it to work, for Weber to accept and embrace the responsibility of the position, it had to come from his teammates.
They say he arrived like many highly-rated freshmen, with an entitled attitude and needing to understand the shape necessary to compete and thrive in the Big Ten.
“We needed him to grow up,” Ohio State center Pat Elflein said.
A year later he has embraced their push.
“He’s grown up a lot this summer,” Elflein said. “Coach Mick paired me with him pretty much every summer workout to really train him and get that mentality you need as a player. You guys have seen the pictures he’s posted. His body has changed a lot.”
Weber’s position solidified last week, when his primary competitor for playing time, senior tailback Bri’onte Dunn, was dismissed from the team after being accused of hitting his girlfriend.
Weber was part of an intense recruiting battle between the Buckeyes and Michigan, where he was formerly committed under Brady Hoke, then re-recruited by Jim Harbaugh before choosing OSU on Signing Day.
His first year in Columbus was rocky, tearing the meniscus in his knee in fall camp and nullifying his chance to get on the field behind starter Ezekiel Elliott.
“I got a scope and got back kind of fast,” he told the Free Press in June. “But by the time I got back, I was out of sync, out of shape and I just sat out and watched behind Zeke and the older guys, and it turned out good anyway.”
Weber impressed this spring, rushing eight times for 38 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game.
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“I told him, there are millions of people in Buckeye Nation counting on you to make plays every Saturday,” Elflein recalled. “He’s like, ‘wow, that’s a lot of pressure.’ I said, I’m going to take care of you, we’ll block up front, just run the ball.”
Meyer’s bigger Metro Detroit surprise may be true freshman offensive lineman Michael Jordan’s rise.
He was a Free Press Dream Team member in 2015 at Plymouth and enrolled at Ohio State in January, starting in the guard vacancy in the spring.
“Following spring practice, when you watch the offensive line, Michael Jordan, a true freshman, will be in the starting lineup,” Meyer said. “From what I’ve seen, his development since he got here in January is outstanding.”
Elflein was also impressed with Jordan.
“That’s pretty tough to go in there and do that,” said Elflein, who started his career on the scout team, not as a starter. “He came in early in spring ball and got all those reps to develop and turn into a college football player… He goes after guys and tries to finish people off. No matter what the circumstance, he’s going to show that toughness and try to pancake you every play.”
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Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@mark__snyder.
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