Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson Nice Backup NFL Running Back

The first thing I noticed when researching Ohio State running back (RB) TreVeyon Henderson was how his season rushing yardage total fell cliff compared to the season prior.

Henderson gained 1,248 yards in 2021, but only 571 in 2022.

Granted he only played in eight games last season, as opposed to 13 games in 2021.

The reason?

He spent a lot of time on the inactive list according to Sports Illustrated due to suffering a broken bone in his foot. That included missing the 2023 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl against Georgia, which caused some backlash according to the article.

“College football fans took to social media with theories about the real motivations behind his forgoing of the big game.”

Whatever the reason is not my top concern. While the drop in yardage is understandable given the injury, his average per rush also fell from 6.8 yards per carry in 2021 to 5.3 yards per carry in 2022.

Between the grumblings from fans and the drop in production, to say 2023 is a “prove it year,” would be an understatement.

Three yards and a cloud of dust

This is a popular football saying and it applies to what it was like watching Henderson run the football in these six games studied.

Outside of a handful of plays, Henderson was mostly bottled up at or around the line of scrimmage.

While he runs hard and he has good vision, he’s just not that explosive home-run-hitting back teams covet in the first round. He reminded me of former UCLA RB Skip Hicks, who was taken in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Hicks played for three teams in the league over four seasons before finishing his career in the CFL.

However, nothing has stopped over half of mainstream NFL Draft platforms from mocking Henderson into the first round. Currently, Draftwire, Pro Football Network, 247Sports, Fox Sports, NBC Sports Chicago, Barstool Sports, CBS, Sporting News, and USA Today headline those who have given him a big grade.

I just don’t see it on the game film. To put it in baseball terms, I see a guy who hits mostly singles with an occasional double.

Henderson needs good blocking

He’s a gliding runner and his speed builds with momentum. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see that often because he doesn’t get far enough before getting tackled at the first or second level.

Henderson runs high with quick choppy feet and good vision. He’s a disciplined runner who needs space created for him.

Henderson is like an ice pick. He’ll chip, chip, chip, and keep chipping away. Occasionally, something opens up for him and he breaks off a “decent run.”

Bottom line – – he’s not a franchise back – – not with what he put on tape.

#32 TreVeyon Henderson 5-foot-10, 213 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Summer 2023 Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 56.5% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of August 4, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Iowa, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 107 carries for 571 yards (5.3 avg.), 6 TD, 1 fumble

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Erect north-south downhill runner with good vision, somewhat labored change of direction, and decent, but not elite acceleration. Occasionally sidesteps a tackler initially, but often doesn’t make a lot of defenders miss. Selflessly slams it in between the tackles. Lacks the juice to win the edge. Occasionally bounces one off tackle for a decent gain. Willing selfless and effective blitz pickup. Average hands. Short-range safety valve.

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. Bounce back season?

2. Health?

3. Bog down often around the line of scrimmage?

4. How does he look catching the ball?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.