Tag: Dallan Hayden

Dallan Hayden says Colorado players share a ‘pro mindset’

Dallan Hayden believes Colorado players share a “pro mindset”

Colorado running back Dallan Hayden knows what it’s like to play for a winning college football program. During his two seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes went 22-4. Now amid his first year in Boulder, his Buffs are off to a 4-1 start.

Despite multiple true freshmen playing big roles this season, head coach Deion Sanders’ roster has been rebuilt through the transfer portal over the past two years with newcomers like Hayden coming in. The results were underwhelming last season, but the Buffs have turned a corner in the second year of the rebuild.

The junior running back met with the media on Tuesday and expressed his satisfaction with the culture at CU.

“Everybody on the team I feel like has a pro mindset,” Hayden said. “Everyone bashes us for bringing in a bunch of portal guys here, but we brought a bunch of portal guys that came from winning programs.”

Hayden leads all Buffs running backs with 25 carries so far this season. He owns 85 rushing yards and recently scored his first touchdown against UCF.

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Coach Prime offers injury updates on Dallan Hayden, Chidozie Nwankwo

Two big names are expected to return from injury this weekend

Colorado football running back Dallan Hayden and defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo are expected to play on Saturday against the 3-0 UCF Knights.

During CU head coach Deion Sanders’ weekly press conference, he offered injury updates on the two players, starting with Nwankwo. The senior Houston transfer injured his forearm against Nebraska in Week 2.

“I think we should get Chidozie back this week as well,” Coach Prime said Tuesday. “That’s a tremendous plus because of his attitude, his leadership and the way he works. Tremendous plus.”

Hayden, a sophomore who began his college career at Ohio State, suffered a high ankle sprain in that same loss to the Cornhuskers.

“Hayden is gonna play (at UCF),” Sanders said. “He worked his butt of today, looked great, looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.”

Hayden was missed after gaining 14 total carries in the first two weeks, but true freshman Micah Welch has stepped up alongside sophomore Arkansas transfer Isaiah Augustave. The amount of talent in Colorado’s RB room creates somewhat of a mystery for Hayden’s return regarding snap distribution.

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Dallan Hayden returns to practice ahead of Colorado’s Week 4 tilt vs. Baylor

Injured running back Dallan Hayden is inching toward his return

Although he’s still questionable to play against Baylor on Saturday, Colorado football running back Dallan Hayden returned to practice this week in a somewhat limited capacity.

The sophomore transfer from Ohio State played in Colorado’s first two games before suffering a high ankle sprain that kept him sidelined last week at Colorado State. On Wednesday, CU running backs coach Gary “Flea” Harrell told the media that Hayden will continue to be evaluated during practice.

“With a high ankle sprain, sometimes it’s tricky,” Harrell said (h/t Nikki Edwards of CU Sports Report). “He (Hayden) looks good as far as his drills, his workouts. We kind of scaled it back early this week, but he’s going to be included moving forward for us… We don’t want to push him too fast. We want to make sure we go about it the right way for his safety.”

Hayden, who owns 52 rushing yards on the season, was listed as injured on Colorado’s Week 4 depth chart, signaling his return likely won’t come this weekend against Baylor. Isaiah Augustave and true freshman Micah Welch were listed as the Buffs’ top two running backs.

Kickoff between Colorado and Baylor is set for 6 p.m. MT (Fox).

https://twitter.com/SkoBuffsGoBuffs/status/1836524437652361526

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Former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden compares Shedeur Sanders to C.J. Stroud

Dallan Hayden compared Shedeur Sanders to one of his standout former teammates at Ohio State

New Colorado Buffaloes running back Dallan Hayden met with the media on Friday and was asked about playing with quarterback Shedeur Sanders. While answering the question, he compared Sanders to former Ohio State Buckeyes QB and current NFL superstar C.J. Stroud.

Hayden spent his freshmen season playing with Stroud at Ohio State. That year, Hayden ran the ball 111 times for 553 yards and four touchdowns while catching four passes for 23 yards. With that much playing time, he got to see what an incredible talent Stroud was up close.

While Hayden is still getting to know Sanders ahead of their first season together, he sees parallels in how the two QBs handle their business:

“Him (Sanders) and C.J. (Stroud) emulate each other,” Hayden said. “Both are businees-oriented when it comes to the game. Both (are) very smart quarterbacks and both great teammates. They encourage you.”

During his final season at Ohio State in 2022, Stroud passed for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns, propelling him into being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign with the Houston Texans, earning AP Offensive Player of the Year honors while reaching the playoffs.

Sanders has been projected to be a top-five pick in next year’s draft, and if he can have a season like Stroud did in 2022, he could become the Buffs’ first-ever No. 1 pick.

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Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden receives new uniform number with Buffs

New Colorado running back Dallan Hayden will rock a single-digit uniform number

Incoming Colorado football transfer Dallan Hayden will be rocking a new uniform number with the Buffs. After wearing No. 5 during his two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the sophomore running back revealed via his Instagram story on Saturday that he’s switching to No. 7.

When he committed to Colorado in April, Hayden’s No. 5 was already taken by wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., but the former Buckeye will share No. 7 with a defensive player, safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig.

As an Ohio State freshman in 2022, Hayden rushed for 553 yards and five touchdowns. His best performance came against Maryland when he recorded 146 yards and three touchdowns.

TCU Horned Frogs transfer wide receiver Cordale Russell (No. 15) and former Auburn Tigers cornerback Colton Hood (No. 3) also revealed their jersey numbers ahead of their first seasons in Boulder.

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UCLA in running for Ohio State transfer running back

Dallan Hayden is on UCLA’s radar.

The UCLA Bruins football program is trying to make some additions via the Spring transfer portal window. After a series of injuries involving three players tearing their ACLs, DeShaun Foster could look to upgrade at a number of positions.

The Bruins have suddenly emerged as an option for Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden, per Steve Wiltfong of On3.

“One of the most talented players in the transfer portal, former Ohio State RB Dallan Hayden says “Colorado, UCLA, Louisville, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech” are the programs he’s heard from so far.”

Hayden entered the portal as soon as the Spring window opened up and has been a hot commodity. His freshman season was certainly impressive as Hayden ran for 553 yards on 111 carries with five scores. In 2023, he had just 19 carries for 110 yards and a score.

With the Buckeyes landing Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins in the portal, it makes sense for Hayden to explore other options.

And, the thought of a TJ Harden-Dallan Hayden RB room is quite something, especially with former UCLA and NFL RB DeShaun Foster running the show.

Ohio State football to lose running back to transfer portal

A blow to the Buckeyes running back depth. #GoBucks

After two seasons of odd usage, it seems like Ohio State football finally had a good plan in place for running back [autotag]Dallan Hayden[/autotag].

Unfortunately, none of those plans will come to fruition as according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, the back will enter the transfer portal. The timing is surprising, as it seemed like Hayden would bide his time, waiting for an opportunity.

Now that opportunity will be at another school. During his two seasons in Columbus, Hayden ran for 663 yards with 6 touchdowns on 130 carries. Although the depth at the position takes a blow, the Buckeyes are still in a great spot with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.

You now have to expect that freshman James Peoples will get more opportunities along with potentially another first-year player in Sam Williams-Dixon. There could be another addition via the portal as well, to get some veteran depth.

We wish Hayden the best looking for his next football home.

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Five Ohio State football players who could enter the transfer portal this offseason

Which Buckeyes do you see leaving via the portal after the season ends?

As the college football regular season winds down, Ohio State football, like many other teams across the country, will be watching the transfer portal to see who will be on the move.

Some players have already submitted their names, while others are waiting for their seasons to play out before making a decision.

The Buckeyes have not seen many players leave, although that might change this offseason.

I want to preface this list by saying it is pure speculation, educated guesses about which Ohio State football players could be on the move after this season. Here is who I think could be looking for a new football home.

247Sports names this Ohio State football player as a transfer candidate

Is it too early to this this could be the case? #GoBucks

The college football season is just over halfway through, and there is already talk about which [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] players could be on the move.

I’m guilty of this thinking as well. I postulated that running back [autotag]Dallan Hayden[/autotag] could potentially move on, due to the staff’s unwillingness to use him when he’s clearly one of the better backs on the roster.

[autotag]Clint Brewster[/autotag] of 247Sports looked around the country at which quarterbacks could be on the move and he named Buckeye backup [autotag]Devin Brown[/autotag] as a potential transfer. The rationale is simple. Brewster explains that “after giving it his best shot, Brown is likely to hit the transfer portal and look elsewhere for greener pastures and a featured role.”

USA TODAY SMG

If this does come to fruition, Ohio State’s quarterback room isn’t barren. The Buckeyes will have Lincoln Kienholz in his second season and true freshman Air Noland. You’d have to expect a depth transfer similar to what we saw this offseason with the addition of [autotag]Tristan Gebbia[/autotag].

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ESPN hands out superlatives for Ohio State and remaining unbeaten teams

Do you think ESPN got this right? #GoBucks

For many teams it’s the midway point of the college football season, but unlike many teams [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] has managed to stay undefeated.

ESPN ranked the top remaining unbeaten teams (subscription required), and you won’t like who is at the top of its list. The Buckeyes are strong candidates to return to the College Football Playoff and it’s backed up by Bill Connelly’s insight.

Find out where ESPN ranks Ohio State among the teams without a blemish on their record, what its odd are for going undefeated during the regular season, along with a look at the other Big Ten and other national teams like Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and more.