Report: Ohio State Hiring Carlos Locklyn As Running Backs Coach

Following practice on Saturday, Ohio State football coach Ryan Day said he expected to have the new Buckeyes’ running backs coach named sometime this week. It looks like he was true to his word as ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that OSU set to announce the hiring of Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn.

Per Thamel, this will be a two-year deal for Locklyn. Ohio State has not yet confirmed the hire.

Like Ohio State, Oregon is in the middle of spring practice as well, which makes the timing of such a hire odd, but this is part of the domino effect of former OSU running backs coach Tony Alford leaving for Michigan one week into the Buckeyes’ spring practice.

Locklyn has not been a college coach for very long, but he has become a sought-after name in the business over the last couple of years. His first on-field coaching job came in 2021 at Western Kentucky as the Hilltoppers’ running backs coach. He was then hired the following year to be part of Dan Lanning’s initial staff at Oregon.

Prior to Western Kentucky, Locklyn served as Florida State’s high school relations director in 2020 after having the same role at Memphis the year before. He spent three years at Memphis, the first year being a weight room assistant, then an offensive analyst in his second year.

Locklyn was a high school assistant coach before his stop at Memphis.

Last season with the Ducks, Oregon’s running backs were both productive and efficient. Leading rusher Bucky Irving posted 1,180 yards on the ground, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Jordan James rushed for 759 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

Irving’s numbers were similar in 2022, rushing for 1,058 yards on 6.8 yards per carry. Second-leading rusher Noah Whittington rushed for 779 yards on 5.6 yards per carry.

Irving was second in the Pac 12 last season with five rushes of at least 30 yards. James had four such carries.

Locklyn will be walking into a loaded Ohio State running back room featuring senior TreVeyon Henderson (2,745 career yards rushing, 32 touchdowns, 6.2 ypc), junior Quinshon Judkins (2,725 career yards rushing, 31 touchdowns, 5.0 ypc), redshirt sophomore Dallan Hayden (663 career yards rushing, 6 touchdowns, 5.1 ypc), and two talented true freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon.

Buckeye Huddle will have more on this hire coming soon.

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