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Top 10 dark horse 2017 Heisman Trophy candidates

2017 Heisman Trophy candidate Mike Weber of Ohio State

Mike Weber, running back, Ohio State

Curtis Samuel’s departure opened the door wide for Weber to step through as the main running back for the Buckeyes in 2017.

Heck, even last year as a redshirt freshman Weber flashed brilliance. He rushed for more yards than Samuel did, gaining 1,096 yards on just 182 carries (6 yards per carry) with nine touchdowns. It’s going to be interesting to see if he becomes more of a factor in the passing game (just 23 catches for 91 yards last year) now that Samuel is no longer on the team.

Head coach Urban Meyer has seen huge growth from Weber this past spring and obviously has high hopes for his lead back this season.

“Mike Weber is separating himself,” Meyer said, per ESPN’s Austin Ward. “He’s having an exceptional spring, and it’s about where he should be. Ironically, I was just talking to him about this. He’s 100 percent [better than] the player he was last year. I mean, in everything, he’s doing a very good job.”

With the likes of Samuel and Ezekiel Elliott having dominated in recent years, Weber has some work ahead of him to create his own legacy at Ohio State, which is something he wants to do.

Of course, winning the Heisman Trophy would do wonders for him in that pursuit. If he has a Heisman-winning season, then the Buckeyes will also likely be challenging for a national championship this January, furthering his cause all the more.

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