Football: Henderson dealing with ‘short-term’ ailment, expected to play against Wisconsin

Sophomore running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) received just four carries against Toledo on Sept. 18, the second lowest of his Ohio State career. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

Second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson isn’t expected to miss time due to injury, head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday.

Henderson exited Saturday’s game against Toledo and entered the locker room following his 7-yard rushing touchdown on No. 3 Ohio State’s game-opening drive. Day said Henderson’s ailment is “just a short-term thing,” and he credited the Buckeye ball-carrier’s effort through three games this season.

“Even in the few reps that he had early in the game, I thought he was running hard,” Day said. “I thought in the Notre Dame game he ran hard — the four-minute drill, especially.”

Henderson’s four carries against the Rockets are the fewest in his time as a starter and second-fewest as a Buckeye behind two rushes against Minnesota in Week 1 last season.

Day recalled former running back J.K. Dobbins’ second season at Ohio State in 2018 and said he’s talked with Henderson “a bunch” about balancing rushes for short and long yardage while remaining careful of his health.

“It’s something that we kind of learned in J.K. ‘s second year is that you don’t want to get anybody dinged up, but they have to learn to play on contact, and they have to learn to run through things,” Day said. “I think we’ve been all over it. I think Tony [Alford] has been all over it. I think he’s run that way so far this year.”

Henderson rushed 15 times against then-No. 5 Notre Dame in the season opener Sept. 3, totaling 91 yards. He followed up with a 10-carry performance against Arkansas State Sept. 10 in which he scored his first two touchdowns of the season.

Ohio State’s running back depth was on display against Toledo, as first-year Dallan Hayden led all rushers with 108 yards on 17 carries and third-year Miyan Williams followed with 77 yards on 10 rushes.

Day said Henderson and the offense are taking on a tougher mindset three games into the season, and he expects something similar when Henderson returns as soon as Saturday against Wisconsin.

“I think that whole room is getting a mentality of running harder, taking some pride in that,” Day said. “That goes with the mentality of the offensive line and the tight ends and kind of everybody on offense. They kind of want that edge about them. So, I think he’s done his part so far, and I know that all of those guys want to run hard and be physical.”