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The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the greatest College Football programs of all time. They have won eight National Championships, and have turned out NFL prospects over and over again.
In this article, we will break down the top five Ohio State football players ever and how their careers unfolded. This was a difficult list to put together because of how many great players have come from Ohio State. Let’s dive into it.
There are a whopping three running backs that have made this list. The first of which is Ezekiel Elliot. He was at Ohio State from 2013-2015 but was not the running back until his Sophomore season in 2014.
Once ‘Zeke’ got the job he quite literally ran with it. He rushed for 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns including six games where he rushed for over 100 yards that season. Then in the Big Ten Championship Zeke had a monster game where he rushed for 2020 yards and two touchdowns. That earned Ohio State their first trip to the new College Football Playoff.
To build Elliot’s legacy even more that season he ran for 230 yards and 246 yards in each College Football Playoff game. He led them to a National Championship that season while winning Offensive Player of the Game in each contest.
Ezekiel Elliot came back for his junior season and was terrific once again. He rushed for over 1,800 yards once again and scored 23 touchdowns. Unfortunately, their season was cut short that year losing to Michigan State and failing to make the College Football Playoff. Elliot decided to forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He left the college as the second-leading rushing leader and yards per game only behind a guy we will get to later. He was also named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
The only wide receiver to crack this top-5 list and the greatest of all time at Ohio State is Chris Carter. Carter was heavenly recruited out of High School as a two-sport athlete, football and basketball. He ultimately decided to play just football and I would say that was a good choice.
Carter is considered to be one of the best route runners in NFL history and has terrific hands. He showcased those amazing skills as a freshman at Ohio State. In the Rose Bowl that season Carter set a record with nine catches and 172 yards receiving. That’s when everyone knew Carter would be a star.
Carter would go on to be a First-Team All-Big Ten player twice, consensus All-American his junior season, Florida Citrus Bowl Champion and Cotton Bowl Champion during his career at Ohio State. He would then go onto the NFL after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame Career in the NFL and was inducted in 2008.
Even though Eddie George was out-rushed by Ezekiel Elliot, we had to put him higher on this list of the best Ohio State football players ever. After an early fumbling problem in his career as a freshman George did not get an opportunity to be a starting running back until his junior season with the Buckeyes.
That year was his breakout season rushing for over 1,400 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. If you thought those were great numbers, he topped those his senior season. That was when George had 2,225 all-purpose yards and 24 total touchdowns, winning the Heisman Trophy in the 1995 season.
During George’s time at Ohio State, he was named a Unanimous All-American in 1995 to go along with that Heisman Trophy win. He also won Big Ten Most Valuable Player that season and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. There have been very few seasons like the one Eddie George put together.
The only offensive lineman to make this list is none other than the generational talent Orlando Pace. Pace absolutely dominated at his position. He had an amazing gift of size strength speed and quick hands for such a huge man.
At the time when Pace came into college, he was only the second true freshman to start on opening day for the Buckeyes. He dominated from the start of his career until the end, Pace was eventually named a two-time Unanimous All-American. He also won the Outland trophy in 1996 which is given to the best interior offensive lineman in the country.
Pace also went on to win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Most Valuable Player of the Year as a Offensive Lineman. That great college career led him to being drafted as the first overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. He had a great 13-year career in the NFL where he was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The third and final running back on this list is none other than Archie Griffin. He is widely considered the best player to play at the University of Ohio State. He had a great career with the Buckeyes as he is still the only player in college football history to win the Heisman Trophy two times.
During his time with the Buckeyes Griffin won four Big Ten Championships once he won the starting running back position as a freshman. Griffin rushed for 867 yards as a true freshman which led the team that year. He then rushed for 1,428 yards his sophomore season, 1,620 his junior season and 1,357 as a senior.
Griffin finished his career with 5,589 yards which was the record at the time. He still is the all-time leading rusher in Ohio State history. Griffin went on to be a Unanimous All-American two times, a Big Ten Most Valuable Player once and a three-time All-Big Ten first-team player.
We will not accept any argument: Archie Griffin is the best Ohio State Buckeye ever!
Dylan has had a love for sports since he was a kid. Four years ago, he decided to dive into the sports content-creating industry specializing in Fantasy Football, NFL and NBA. He has since had his work published on sites that include Fantasy Alarm, Fansided, and Fantasy Six Pack.