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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
How Does Tony Alford Decide Who Carries the Ball?
Some coaches have trouble deciding which players to play because their choices are limited. Picking and choosing could sometimes be better described as scouring and scrounging. They are often looking for “Door No. 3” because they don’t like their first two options. As you might expect, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford doesn’t have that problem.He knows what (and who) is behind each of his doorways and he has no reason to look for something better behind a door that may not even have anything to offer.
Alford isn’t in to mystery. He’s into truths, and his truths are that running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber are two of the best running backs in the country. Dobbins rushed for 1,403 yards last year as a true freshman, leading the Big Ten with a 7.2-yard-per-carry average. The year before, Weber rushed for 1,096 yards as a redshirt freshman.
Both players earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors as freshmen, and they are now both better than they were back then.
Most coaches would sell an organ for just one supremely talented running back. And don’t even ask what they’d do for twoof them.
At Ohio State, the running back options are deep, and they go beyond just Weber and Dobbins. Things are so good nowadays that the Buckeyes felt like they could move redshirt sophomore Demario McCall from running back to H-back. That’s the same H-back position where last year’s two leading receivers K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell still reside. And there are significant expectations this year for McCall, so don’t think he’s just being shuffled around like a piece of furniture.
The running back room also featured third-year player Antonio Williams, who had his best spring as a Buckeye. Due to the depth, Williams transferred to North Carolina once spring ball was over. Some would argue that one of the additional reasons he transferred was because of the performance of true freshman Master Teague, who enrolled early.
Teague is big, strong, and fast, and gives Alford another option if such an occasion should arise. Next month, the running backs room will add Brian Snead, who was the No. 3 running back in the 2018 recruiting class.
It would be an embarrassment of riches if Alford wasn’t so happy to show off his players. With just one football to go round, however, deciding which player to show off when could become a problem.
How will Alford decides who plays and who doesn’t?
“Who I like better,” he laughed. “That’s a joke. I think it’s just the flow of the game and how things are going.”
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/05/tony-alford-decide-carries-ball/
Some coaches have trouble deciding which players to play because their choices are limited. Picking and choosing could sometimes be better described as scouring and scrounging. They are often looking for “Door No. 3” because they don’t like their first two options. As you might expect, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford doesn’t have that problem.He knows what (and who) is behind each of his doorways and he has no reason to look for something better behind a door that may not even have anything to offer.
Alford isn’t in to mystery. He’s into truths, and his truths are that running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber are two of the best running backs in the country. Dobbins rushed for 1,403 yards last year as a true freshman, leading the Big Ten with a 7.2-yard-per-carry average. The year before, Weber rushed for 1,096 yards as a redshirt freshman.
Both players earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors as freshmen, and they are now both better than they were back then.
Most coaches would sell an organ for just one supremely talented running back. And don’t even ask what they’d do for twoof them.
At Ohio State, the running back options are deep, and they go beyond just Weber and Dobbins. Things are so good nowadays that the Buckeyes felt like they could move redshirt sophomore Demario McCall from running back to H-back. That’s the same H-back position where last year’s two leading receivers K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell still reside. And there are significant expectations this year for McCall, so don’t think he’s just being shuffled around like a piece of furniture.
The running back room also featured third-year player Antonio Williams, who had his best spring as a Buckeye. Due to the depth, Williams transferred to North Carolina once spring ball was over. Some would argue that one of the additional reasons he transferred was because of the performance of true freshman Master Teague, who enrolled early.
Teague is big, strong, and fast, and gives Alford another option if such an occasion should arise. Next month, the running backs room will add Brian Snead, who was the No. 3 running back in the 2018 recruiting class.
It would be an embarrassment of riches if Alford wasn’t so happy to show off his players. With just one football to go round, however, deciding which player to show off when could become a problem.
How will Alford decides who plays and who doesn’t?
“Who I like better,” he laughed. “That’s a joke. I think it’s just the flow of the game and how things are going.”
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2018/05/tony-alford-decide-carries-ball/
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Former FF League III Champ
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Watch: The Room — Upholding the Buckeye RB Legacy
Being a running back at Ohio State is one of the marquee jobs in all of college football.
That fact isn’t taken lightly by Buckeyes’ running backs coach Tony Alford, and he has made sure to imprint that upon every player that he coaches.
The video below details Alford’s lessons, as well as the feelings that his past and present players have for their coach and for his coaching style.
Ohio State’s social media team is arguably the best in the nation and this apparent series is just one more example why.
In the video below, former players Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Weber express what Alford has done for them, as does returning starter JK Dobbins.
There are also clips of Alford coaching his players this spring, including true freshman Marcus Crowley, who is told “if the ball is on the ground, you will never play.”
Weber said Alford was like a second father to him, and Dobbins said Alford is always there for him.
Alford, meanwhile, says that coaching in his early days was about winning, but now it’s about mentorship.
It’s one part history lesson, one part spring glimpse, and one part recruiting showcase.
All of it is worth watching.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2019/04/upholding-buckeyes-running-back-legacy/
Being a running back at Ohio State is one of the marquee jobs in all of college football.
That fact isn’t taken lightly by Buckeyes’ running backs coach Tony Alford, and he has made sure to imprint that upon every player that he coaches.
The video below details Alford’s lessons, as well as the feelings that his past and present players have for their coach and for his coaching style.
Ohio State’s social media team is arguably the best in the nation and this apparent series is just one more example why.
In the video below, former players Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Weber express what Alford has done for them, as does returning starter JK Dobbins.
There are also clips of Alford coaching his players this spring, including true freshman Marcus Crowley, who is told “if the ball is on the ground, you will never play.”
Weber said Alford was like a second father to him, and Dobbins said Alford is always there for him.
Alford, meanwhile, says that coaching in his early days was about winning, but now it’s about mentorship.
It’s one part history lesson, one part spring glimpse, and one part recruiting showcase.
All of it is worth watching.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2019/04/upholding-buckeyes-running-back-legacy/
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Morning Conversational: How Is Coaching Like Parenting?
When recruiting players, coaches from all sports have to also recruit players’ families.
They want to know what kind of son or daughter, or brother or sister they are recruiting. A son that doesn’t respect his family is generally going to be a player that doesn’t respect his coaches.
A couple of years ago, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford told a story about recruiting Ezekiel Elliott when he was at Notre Dame, and how he still remembered the interactions he saw between Elliott and his sister and how he could tell just through those moments that Elliott was the type of person he would like to coach.
When parents and guardians then sign off on their sons and daughters going to a particular school, they don’t do it thinking their child is going to be running amuck and without any supervision.
It is at this point when coaches stop being recruiters and become extended parents. Most players are too far from home to visit when they’d like, so coaches have to fill those needs where they can. Including providing the occasionally needed tough love.
Coaches — like parents — have to be consistent, however.
“Coaching is no different than parenting. Everyone is treated fairly,” Alford said this spring. “People say, ‘I’m going to treat you all the same.’ You’re not. You’re not going to treat them all the same. I don’t treat my children all the same. I’ll treat them fairly. And the expectation levels are all the same.
“The way I talk to Master [Teague] is vastly different than the way I talk to Demario [McCall]. Or how I talk to JK [Dobbins]. The way I talk to Mike Weber is very, very different than how I talk to Marcus Crowley. But you have to know your players, you have to know your clientele, you have to know your kids, and what’s going to push them.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2019/04/morning-conversational-coaching-life-parenting/
When recruiting players, coaches from all sports have to also recruit players’ families.
They want to know what kind of son or daughter, or brother or sister they are recruiting. A son that doesn’t respect his family is generally going to be a player that doesn’t respect his coaches.
A couple of years ago, Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford told a story about recruiting Ezekiel Elliott when he was at Notre Dame, and how he still remembered the interactions he saw between Elliott and his sister and how he could tell just through those moments that Elliott was the type of person he would like to coach.
When parents and guardians then sign off on their sons and daughters going to a particular school, they don’t do it thinking their child is going to be running amuck and without any supervision.
It is at this point when coaches stop being recruiters and become extended parents. Most players are too far from home to visit when they’d like, so coaches have to fill those needs where they can. Including providing the occasionally needed tough love.
Coaches — like parents — have to be consistent, however.
“Coaching is no different than parenting. Everyone is treated fairly,” Alford said this spring. “People say, ‘I’m going to treat you all the same.’ You’re not. You’re not going to treat them all the same. I don’t treat my children all the same. I’ll treat them fairly. And the expectation levels are all the same.
“The way I talk to Master [Teague] is vastly different than the way I talk to Demario [McCall]. Or how I talk to JK [Dobbins]. The way I talk to Mike Weber is very, very different than how I talk to Marcus Crowley. But you have to know your players, you have to know your clientele, you have to know your kids, and what’s going to push them.
Entire article: https://theozone.net/2019/04/morning-conversational-coaching-life-parenting/
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CONFIDENCE IN TONY ALFORD, OHIO STATE RUNNING BACK RECRUITING SHOULD REMAIN STRONG DESPITE TOUGH WEEK ON THE TRAIL
Andrew Ellis on August 4, 2019 at 8:30 am @teddyheisman
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64 COMMENTS
There have been 18 five-star running backs dating back to the Class of 2016. None of them have signed with Ohio State.
Tony Alford was officially named as Ohio State's running backs coach back in February of 2015. He's now working on his fifth full recruiting class, and all eyes may very well be on him as the Buckeyes look to put the finishing touches on the Class of 2020.
Ryan Day is in a position where the class is going to be nearly complete before the upcoming season even kicks off. The Buckeyes have 22 commitments in the fold and are expected to land another five or six more before February of next year. The remaining areas of need are mostly unchanged with the defensive line, cornerback, and tailback still the lingering priorities.
We spent several weeks expecting the running back class to be wrapped up by Aug. 2, but things took a turn when Jaylan Knighton committed to Florida State on Tuesday and five-star Bijan Robinson pledged to Texas just three days later. Additionally, the country's No. 4 tailback – five-star California product Kendall Milton – sided with Georgia on Monday.
Alford had the Buckeyes out in front for Milton at one point until he took his official visits to SEC country. Ohio State led for Knighton until he visited Tallahassee last week for the Noles' Saturday Night Live event. And the Robinson loss stung the most as he seemed like a virtual lock up until something changed last weekend.
RELATED Remaining Running Back Options for Ohio State's 2020 Class
It would be a bit of an understatement to say that Tony Alford has had better weeks on the recruiting trail. On the other side of the coin, those being overly critical may be getting far too wrapped up in the current state of affairs.
While at Notre Dame, Alford served as recruiting coordinator in addition to his running back duties. He specialized in recruiting the state of Florida and helped bring in players like Greg Bryant and Dexter Williams. No one in South Bend was happy to see him head to Columbus to replace Stan Drayton.
It's also important to remember that there typically aren't that many five-star running backs in a given recruiting class. Looking back at Alford's first full recruiting cycle (2016), Penn State signee Miles Sanders was the lone five-star prospect. Demario McCall was the nation's No. 2 all-purpose back while Antonio Williams was No. 7. A year later there were five backs with five-star status. J.K. Dobbins was the country's sixth-rated back and just missed the cut.
RUNNING BACK RECRUITING: ALFORD ERA
CLASS FIVE-STARS OHIO STATE SIGNEES
2016 1 Antonio Williams, Demario McCall
2017 5 J.K. Dobbins
2018 3 Brian Snead, Jaelen Gill, Master Teague
2019 3 Marcus Crowley, Steele Chambers
2020 6 To Be Determined
The 2018 class was a good one for Alford and the Buckeyes. Brian Snead and Jaelen Gill were two of the staff's top overall targets. Ohio State managed to beat out several SEC teams when Master Teague signed with the good guys.
The class had just a trio of five-stars. North Carolina's Zamir White was another one of Alford's top priorities, but he ended up signing with Georgia. Gill was the country's No. 2 all-purpose back and No. 30 overall prospect; just missing a fifth star. Snead was No. 3 at the position and Teague was No. 11.
If we're being totally honest here, Brian Snead's dismissal was a really big blow to Ohio State's running back depth. He had carved out a bit of a role as a true freshman before things went south. If his career had played out differently, the Buckeyes would be in a much different situation at the position and this 2020 class wouldn't be quite as crucial.
The Class of 2019 could have gone a little better for the Buckeyes. Flipping Marcus Crowley from Miami was a huge move and landing Steele Chambers over Notre Dame was another big win. Still, Ohio State did miss out on a number of top-tier targets including Penn State signees Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. Losing Sampson James to Indiana wasn't exactly a good look either.
During his time in Columbus, the Buckeyes have absolutely missed out on a number of tailback targets. The same can be said for wide receivers, cornerbacks, and virtually every other position on the field. I'm of the belief that running back recruiting has gone fine – and will continue to be fine – even after last week's events.
I'm also a believer in Alford's player development. J.K. Dobbins looked like the next big thing when he burst onto the scene in 2017. He took a step back as a sophomore as his yards per carry took a pretty big drop from 7.2 all the way down to 4.6. At least some of that can be attributed to offensive line play and the lack of a running threat at quarterback, however. We'll see how things go in what is expected to be Dobbins' last hurrah.
The real test may deal more with the other tailbacks. Teague has shown some flashes at times and is going to be needed to step up in his second year. McCall is an all-purpose weapon, but can the staff figure out how to effectively deploy him? Crowley enrolled early and should play as a true freshman. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Chambers is a bit of a wildcard as many thought he could end up at linebacker.
There are now less than five months until the early signing period. Brian Hartline and Jeff Hafley have been dominant on the recruiting trail and both are listed among the country's best. For Alford and the running backs, the board is going to have to be reset a bit now that three of the top targets are committed elsewhere. New offers have already been extended and some previous targets now will likely be re-evaluated during their senior seasons.
Ohio State is going to sign a pair of running backs by the time February's signing day rolls around. Tony Alford has shown that he's more than capable on the recruiting trail. We'll see if he can do it again despite some recent bumps in the road.
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...HD8EvviLp_uum0QaBTTEriJy9rGarHlDG_45Bd92ToxWg
Andrew Ellis on August 4, 2019 at 8:30 am @teddyheisman
Email this ArticleShare on RedditShare on TwitterShare on Facebook176
64 COMMENTS
There have been 18 five-star running backs dating back to the Class of 2016. None of them have signed with Ohio State.
Tony Alford was officially named as Ohio State's running backs coach back in February of 2015. He's now working on his fifth full recruiting class, and all eyes may very well be on him as the Buckeyes look to put the finishing touches on the Class of 2020.
Ryan Day is in a position where the class is going to be nearly complete before the upcoming season even kicks off. The Buckeyes have 22 commitments in the fold and are expected to land another five or six more before February of next year. The remaining areas of need are mostly unchanged with the defensive line, cornerback, and tailback still the lingering priorities.
We spent several weeks expecting the running back class to be wrapped up by Aug. 2, but things took a turn when Jaylan Knighton committed to Florida State on Tuesday and five-star Bijan Robinson pledged to Texas just three days later. Additionally, the country's No. 4 tailback – five-star California product Kendall Milton – sided with Georgia on Monday.
Alford had the Buckeyes out in front for Milton at one point until he took his official visits to SEC country. Ohio State led for Knighton until he visited Tallahassee last week for the Noles' Saturday Night Live event. And the Robinson loss stung the most as he seemed like a virtual lock up until something changed last weekend.
RELATED Remaining Running Back Options for Ohio State's 2020 Class
It would be a bit of an understatement to say that Tony Alford has had better weeks on the recruiting trail. On the other side of the coin, those being overly critical may be getting far too wrapped up in the current state of affairs.
While at Notre Dame, Alford served as recruiting coordinator in addition to his running back duties. He specialized in recruiting the state of Florida and helped bring in players like Greg Bryant and Dexter Williams. No one in South Bend was happy to see him head to Columbus to replace Stan Drayton.
It's also important to remember that there typically aren't that many five-star running backs in a given recruiting class. Looking back at Alford's first full recruiting cycle (2016), Penn State signee Miles Sanders was the lone five-star prospect. Demario McCall was the nation's No. 2 all-purpose back while Antonio Williams was No. 7. A year later there were five backs with five-star status. J.K. Dobbins was the country's sixth-rated back and just missed the cut.
RUNNING BACK RECRUITING: ALFORD ERA
CLASS FIVE-STARS OHIO STATE SIGNEES
2016 1 Antonio Williams, Demario McCall
2017 5 J.K. Dobbins
2018 3 Brian Snead, Jaelen Gill, Master Teague
2019 3 Marcus Crowley, Steele Chambers
2020 6 To Be Determined
The 2018 class was a good one for Alford and the Buckeyes. Brian Snead and Jaelen Gill were two of the staff's top overall targets. Ohio State managed to beat out several SEC teams when Master Teague signed with the good guys.
The class had just a trio of five-stars. North Carolina's Zamir White was another one of Alford's top priorities, but he ended up signing with Georgia. Gill was the country's No. 2 all-purpose back and No. 30 overall prospect; just missing a fifth star. Snead was No. 3 at the position and Teague was No. 11.
If we're being totally honest here, Brian Snead's dismissal was a really big blow to Ohio State's running back depth. He had carved out a bit of a role as a true freshman before things went south. If his career had played out differently, the Buckeyes would be in a much different situation at the position and this 2020 class wouldn't be quite as crucial.
The Class of 2019 could have gone a little better for the Buckeyes. Flipping Marcus Crowley from Miami was a huge move and landing Steele Chambers over Notre Dame was another big win. Still, Ohio State did miss out on a number of top-tier targets including Penn State signees Noah Cain and Devyn Ford. Losing Sampson James to Indiana wasn't exactly a good look either.
During his time in Columbus, the Buckeyes have absolutely missed out on a number of tailback targets. The same can be said for wide receivers, cornerbacks, and virtually every other position on the field. I'm of the belief that running back recruiting has gone fine – and will continue to be fine – even after last week's events.
I'm also a believer in Alford's player development. J.K. Dobbins looked like the next big thing when he burst onto the scene in 2017. He took a step back as a sophomore as his yards per carry took a pretty big drop from 7.2 all the way down to 4.6. At least some of that can be attributed to offensive line play and the lack of a running threat at quarterback, however. We'll see how things go in what is expected to be Dobbins' last hurrah.
The real test may deal more with the other tailbacks. Teague has shown some flashes at times and is going to be needed to step up in his second year. McCall is an all-purpose weapon, but can the staff figure out how to effectively deploy him? Crowley enrolled early and should play as a true freshman. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Chambers is a bit of a wildcard as many thought he could end up at linebacker.
There are now less than five months until the early signing period. Brian Hartline and Jeff Hafley have been dominant on the recruiting trail and both are listed among the country's best. For Alford and the running backs, the board is going to have to be reset a bit now that three of the top targets are committed elsewhere. New offers have already been extended and some previous targets now will likely be re-evaluated during their senior seasons.
Ohio State is going to sign a pair of running backs by the time February's signing day rolls around. Tony Alford has shown that he's more than capable on the recruiting trail. We'll see if he can do it again despite some recent bumps in the road.
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...HD8EvviLp_uum0QaBTTEriJy9rGarHlDG_45Bd92ToxWg
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ShowMeBuck
You know what? Chicken butt.
If you added up the collective temps of the entire staff, it wouldn’t be as much as the “hot seat” under Alford right now.
To be clear, I’m not saying he is sitting on a blazing hot seat, but it’s certainly warm and the rest of the staff are like Eskimos.
To be clear, I’m not saying he is sitting on a blazing hot seat, but it’s certainly warm and the rest of the staff are like Eskimos.
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bucknut502
Hall of Fame
I’m not sure I agree with that at all! He has the #2 rusher in the country....And, some people think the guy he’s developing behind the #2 rusher in the country will be better.
It can’t just be about recruiting. If you are developing your talent into Heisman candidates, shouldn’t that make you exempt from the hot seat?
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ShowMeBuck
You know what? Chicken butt.
Yeah that’s fine unless you have a colleague on your side of the ball like Hartline that’s doing both - developing talent AND killing it on the trail.
Look, make no mistake about it. He’s the most vulnerable coach. He may land a great back but my point is simply that he’s gotta be feeling more heat than anyone.
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