Is Ohio State in Danger of Loaded 2016 RB Recruiting Class Falling Apart?

The Ohio State Buckeyes spent the early stages of the 2016 recruiting cycle assembling a rare arsenal of talent at running back.

By the start of this spring, the Buckeyes carried commitments from three of America's premier rushers: in-state standouts George Hill and Demario McCall, along with scintillating New Jersey playmaker Kareem Walker. 

Each was rated a top-10 prospect at the position when they pledged to Ohio State, creating plenty of potential in Columbus for sustained offensive success. Still, amid this excitement, one glaring issue lingered and continues to become more predominant.

Is every member of the trio willing to share a recruiting class, and eventually collegiate carries, when national signing day arrives Feb. 3?

Name	High School	Carries	Rushing Yards	Receiving Yards	Total TDs
George Hill	Hubbard (Hubbard, Ohio)	195	2,040	180	33
Demario McCall (stats unavailable for 2015 season)	North Ridgeville (North Ridgeville, Ohio)	220	2,302	195	38
Kareem Walker	DePaul Catholic (Wayne, New Jersey)	292	2,219	185	33

It can be difficult to keep an individual elite prospect in place at one position during the final, frenzied stretch of a cycle, so juggling three at a spot that produces Heisman Trophy winners is no easy task. Fortunately, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer is quite experienced when it comes to handling copious amounts of talent.

His efforts to steer Ohio State toward a second straight national title have required him to routinely fine-tune an offensive backfield that features four players who've felt the Heisman hype at some stage of their college career.

This kind of competition compels recruits. It also makes them think twice. 

In an era dominated by superstar underclassmen running backs, do you want to jump from high school to a roster with so much depth at the position it's borderline greedy? 

That's a natural question to ask for any 17-year-old phenom whose coaches have provided him with 20 or more touches per game since elementary school. This is especially the case if he's competing at a position based primarily on handling the football.

How often do two blue-chip quarterbacks join forces in the same recruiting class?

So this leads us back to the Buckeyes, who've already impressed by maintaining all three pledges for seven months. Now less than four months shy of the finish line, things should become significantly more difficult. 

Firstly, Ohio State fans can feel confident about the impending arrival of McCall. The 5'11", 180-pound North Ridgeville High School star has shied away from other schools for a while and continues to express excitement about his envisioned role in Columbus.

"I think I'm a perfect fit at H-back for the Buckeyes offense," McCall told Bleacher Report.

Credit: 247Sports

Unlike Hill and Walker, McCall hasn't made it a priority to explore other college campuses this season. He admitted the potential complications of three top running backs in one class has crossed his mind, though it won't prevent him from sealing the deal on signing day.

"It's definitely something I think about," McCall said after a late spring camp in Columbus. "That's a lot of talent coming in at one position. But Ohio State is where I feel like I'm meant to be."

It's also worth noting McCall committed to the Buckeyes months after Walker and Hill did, so he understood exactly what he was getting to with this decision. 

Hill, who was the first running back to join Ohio State's class in June 2014, shared carries at Hubbard High School with highly targeted 2015 recruit L.J. Scott. His former teammate is enjoying an excellent true freshman season for unbeaten Michigan State, leading the Spartans rushing attack with 418 yards and six touchdowns.

Michigan State aims to reunite the tandem in East Lansing, hosting Hill on campus twice this season. 

"It was great watching LJ do so well because we are such great friends. They are pushing me to commit to them and so is L.J.," he told Detroit News reporter Allen Trieu, who also noted Hill's interest in possibly visiting Pittsburgh and West Virginia. 

Hill, a physically imposing 200-pound runner, is a perfect asset to have in Big Ten territory when the weather turns ugly. His ultimate choice could come down to Ohio State and Michigan State on national signing day, giving one rival an edge on the ground in future matchups.

Credit: 247Sports

Walker could also end up making his biggest impact in Columbus while wearing an opponent's uniform.

The No. 1 running back in 247Sports' composite rankings took a trip to Ann Arbor last weekend, watching the Wolverines claim a third straight shutout victory. He watched the action alongside several fellow New Jersey natives who've already committed to Michigan.

Walker was joined by 4-star Wolverines pledges Ron Johnson, Brad Hawkins and Ahmir Mitchell. The group of Garden State standouts journeyed to campus just two weeks after defensive tackle Rashan Gary, the top overall prospect in New Jersey and nationally, spent an official visit in Ann Arbor. 

Michigan recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge served as head coach at New Jersey powerhouse Paramus Catholic High School last season, so his grasp of the state's recruiting scene is strong. Approximately one quarter of the Wolverines' 2016 recruiting haul could come from New Jersey if head coach Jim Harbaugh wins head-to-head battles like the one shaping up for Walker.

Credit: 247Sports

"I had a good trip to Michigan. It's the second time I've been there but the first time with this staff," Walker said in a statement via Tom VanHaaren of ESPN. "The game atmosphere was tremendous, fans really love the team. I enjoyed speaking with the coaches and meeting everyone."

Those comments don't do much to dispel speculation that Michigan may be trending toward the top of his contenders list. Walker also expressed plans to utilize all five of his official visits, though future destinations remain unknown.

He traveled to Auburn and Alabama earlier this year, so those SEC universities could be in store for return trips.

Ohio State superstar Ezekiel Elliott is likely to bolt for the NFL following his junior season so there is a need for young players who can compete to carry the large load left behind. 

The Buckeyes signed coveted Detroit running back Mike Weber in its 2015 class but a torn meniscus slowed down his early progress. 

Aside from Elliott and Ohio State's two alternating quarterbacks, only Braxton Miller (161 yards) has surpassed 100 total rushing yards for the Buckeyes through six games. Carries will undoubtedly be available to earn for motivated true freshmen next year.

Hill, Walker and McCall could challenge each other to rise up the depth chart throughout their first training camp, or perhaps responsibility will fall to just one guy when the dust settles on national signing day. Regardless, Ohio State will need to play defense in order to reach Feb. 3 with multiple marquee running backs still on track to become Buckeyes.

Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.