Ohio State junior quarterback Justin Fields (1) hands the ball off to graduate running back Trey Sermon (8) during the Ohio State-Nebraska game on Oct. 24. Ohio State won 52-17. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The state of Georgia is well represented in the Ohio State backfield.
Growing up less than a half-hour from each other, junior quarterback Justin Fields and graduate running back Trey Sermon cultivated a relationship long before they arrived at Ohio State. With both hailing from the peach state, the two worked out together before beginning their college careers.
“I think I’ve known Trey since my junior year in high school,” Fields said Thursday. “We’ve been working out together since probably like my senior year of high school. We’ve known each other a long time now for sure.”
The pair of Buckeyes not only worked together but competed with one another in high school as Fields’ Harrison High School and Sermon’s Sprayberry High School both were members of the 6A Region 6 conference.
The two met in 2016 with then-high school junior Fields’ Hoyas reigning victorious 35-7. The Buckeyes’ signal caller led Harrison with 222 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 114 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns.
Sermon gave Sprayberry their only points on the night, with a 27-yard touchdown run.
The Georgia natives also took similar journeys to Ohio State, with both transferring in — Fields from Georgia and Sermon from Oklahoma.
Fields said the relationship he formed with head coach Ryan Day during his transfer process drew him to Ohio State in 2019.
“I think the connection that me and coach Day had from day one was genuine. Of course everyone knows he’s a great offensive-minded coach, and I knew that he was going to make me a better player,” Fields said. “When I knew it was going to work out was the first touchdown I scored against FAU during the first game of last year.”
Sermon’s transfer process went less smoothly as spring practices were canceled and the Big Ten’s season was initially postponed upon his arrival to Ohio State.
Day said Sermon found his rhythm with Ohio State in the regular season finale against Michigan State.
“Yeah, probably the Michigan State game and then into the — but he popped a few runs there, OK, that was good. But then the Big Ten Championship game was when he really took off,” Day said. “I mean, it was probably the second half is when I really realized what was going on. He was running hard, but then it just kind of went to a second level, and then he played great last week.”
In his first four games as a Buckeye, Sermon tallied 239 yards and no scores while splitting carries with redshirt sophomore running back Master Teague III.
However, in the last three games, Sermon has picked up 636 yards and four touchdowns as the feature running back — including a single-game Ohio State record 331-yard performance against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship.
With rising expectations due to his recent play, Sermon said he hasn’t felt any added pressure to perform.
“I’m confident in my ability and I know that I prepare well for each game. I mean, there’s no pressure,” Sermon said. “I just know I just have to go out there and execute, do my job to the best of my ability, and, I mean, I know that I’m going to be fine.”
In the Sugar Bowl, Sermon served as a safety valve for Fields — who put together his best performance as a Buckeye with 385 yards and six passing touchdowns.
Sermon, who hauled in four catches for 61 yards against the Tigers, said that he and Fields have been working on their connectivity in the passing game.
“It’s something that we just kind of work on like every day. It just happens,” Sermon said. “In the game it just worked out well because I would get out there and just kind of be uncovered or just the easy check-down, and just being able to just get vertical and just have a positive play.”
Although their relationship started in Georgia, it has bloomed in Ohio, but Fields said that the duo is staying in the present heading into the national championship contest with Alabama.
“He’s always been a hard worker. I think we’ll talk about this in a few years from now, but I think right now we’re more so living in the moment,” Fields said. “Of course I tell him after every big game we win, I usually go up to him after the game and say to him, ‘I told you that you should have came here.’ But yeah, other than that, that’s all we talk about.”
