Northwestern linebacker Khalid Jones (44) and defensive back Bryce Jackson (22) pursue Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III (9) in the first half of a game on Sept. 3, 2021. Credit: Chris Sweda via TNS
Two top 10 teams venture to Ohio Stadium Saturday, featuring the top two running backs in the Big Ten Conference.
However, one is not like the other. Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III currently leads both the conference and country with 1,473 yards. His 147.3 rushing yards per game are also the best in college football.
“He’s a legit running back,” junior defensive end Zach Harrison said. “He’s explosive. He’s a big guy.”
Walker’s prolific production is extraordinary, especially considering he didn’t play in the Big Ten a season ago.
Walker joined Michigan State in 2021 after transferring from Wake Forest. He played in 20 games across two seasons, running for 579 yards both years while scoring 17 touchdowns.
Head coach Ryan Day praised Walker’s patience and vision when he carries the football, which has led the ball-carrier to two-straight Doak Walker Award Watch Lists for college football’s best running back. Day expects Walker to challenge the Buckeyes’ defense.
“It’s going to take more than one guy to bring him down,” Day said.
Since allowing back-to-back 200-yard rushing performances in the first two games of the season, No. 4 Ohio State has surrendered more than 100 yards on the ground just twice in eight contests.
Walker enters Columbus on a three-game streak of 136-plus rushing yards, running in eight touchdowns in that span.
“He’s just a good back. Give credit to him,” Harrison said. “His O-line does a good job of moving guys out of the way. He’s got good vision; he sees the holes and he hits the holes hard. Presents a good challenge for us.”
Harrison said he believes Ohio State’s defense is different than it was at the start of the year, emphasizing that the key to stopping Walker is honing the Buckeyes’ fundamentals and run fits.
“We just got to be gap sound,” Harrison said. “Don’t get greedy, let the plays come to you.”
Ohio State freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson — who, like Walker, also didn’t play in the Big Ten or college football entirely last year — is second in the conference with 1,035 rushing yards.
One area Henderson bests Walker in is on a per-carry basis. Henderson totes the rock for an average of 7.3 yards per carry, whereas Walker runs for 6.5 each time. Granted, Walker also has 86 more carries than his freshman competitor.
Nonetheless, Walker will give Ohio State a new dynamic to play against. Day said he knows how big a part Walker plays in the Spartans’ offense, and Harrison said he and the Buckeyes’ goal is to limit that as much as possible.
“You got to stop the run first,” Harrison said. “You stop the run and make a team one dimensional; you get to pin your ears back and go rush the passer.”
