Alford: Dobbins, Weber both will play a lot for Buckeyes in 2018

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How will Ohio State’s get the most out of both backs this fall? It’s a question that won’t be answered until then.

“It’ll be a week-by-week deal,” running backs coach Tony Alford said Monday after practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, “but they’re both going to play, and they’re both going to play lot.”

Ohio State fans can watch Weber and Dobbins, plus junior Antonio Williams and freshman Master Teague, on Saturday in the annual spring game. It starts at 1:45 p.m. at Ohio Stadium and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Most of the eyes will be on the quarterbacks — Dwayne Haskins, Joe Burrow and Tate Martell are competing for the starting job — even though the running backs might be the team’s stars. Weber battled an injury early last season, and that allowed Dobbins to seize the starting job. However, Weber had two 100-yard games in November, and he’s been healthy since then.

“When you’re on the field, you get reps,” Alford said. “That’s been a good thing for him and everyone else. All of a sudden, his reps don’t get heaped on anyone else. He’s done a good job of staying healthy and taking care of his body.”

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Although Williams may be buried on the depth chart behind Dobbins and Weber, he’s still a player to watch. He averaged 5.1 yards on 57 carries last season.

“First and foremost, he’s a pro about how he handles his business,” Alford said. “He’s an extremely mature kid. He has improved. He’s probably one of our top three guys on the team as far as improvement.”