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ATHENS, Ohio— Ohio had the No. 1 offense in the Mid-American Conference last season thanks to its ability to blend its offense.  

Part of what made the blend seamless is the flexibility of the running back room.

"It's a very balanced offense, and traditionally it's been a run-heavy offense. We've really opened up the passing game more last year when I got here," passing game coordinator and running backs coach Brian Smith said. "(The running backs) are embracing the small changes within what we do, but they're still getting a lot of touches and a lot of opportunities to make plays." 

Last season, the Bobcats rushed for over 100 yards in all but three games (Penn State, Iowa State and Toledo) and had a rushing touchdown in 13 of 14 games. The Bobcats have experience on the ground, which will help them this season. 

Leading the pack is 2022 MAC Freshman of the Year, Sieh Bangura. Bangura collected 1078 yards on 222 carries for 13 touchdowns. It was a breakout season for the redshirt sophomore, who hadn't started before then. 

Bangura saw limited action at the end of the season because of a shoulder injury, however he's excited to be back on the field. Even if it is just doing drills at camp — he's giving it his all. 

"I want to improve my speed and agility," Bangura said. "I want to be able to outrun people." 

Joining Bangura is O'Shaan Allison, who did not play last season due to injury. Prior to that, Allison had been a prominent force for the Bobcats. Allison has collected 1,171 yards so far as a Bobcat, and 2023 provides him the opportunity to grab more. Smith is excited to have Allison back in the rotation. 

"He had been a starter two years ago and has a lot of experience in the offense. It's great when you can add a guy back that has a lot of experience like that," he said. 

Smith also mentioned redshirt sophomore Nolan McCormick as someone who has caught his eye during camp thus far. McCormick saw time in 13 games last season and finished second in yards with 289. In his first season on the field, McCormick established himself as a "steady Eddy" for the Bobcats. 

Ohio has also added three more running backs to the roster, most notably Rickey Hunt. Hunt, who spent most of his time at quarterback in high school, has caught on to the offense quickly. 

Smith has found that a common denominator between his running backs is that they're all tough. 

"That's always the first thing you look at. I think collectively, they play hard. I think they're physical to finish runs and those are things that we really embrace as a unity. They have the ability to create explosive plays," he said. 

Ohio's hopes to maintain a blended offense are secure with the running backs. The group is excited for the fall and is ready to make waves across the MAC.

"Last year, that's last year," Bangura said. "We've got a lot of people who came back on offense and we're just going to do the same thing we did last year."  

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