As the one-day position camp carried on Saturday from the outdoor practice fields of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, four-star running back target DeaMonte Trayanum kept a low profile.
In a gray Nike zip-up sweatshirt with his hood on, the four-star running back watched while Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban teammates went through Ohio State’s camp.
A standout performer on the offseason camp circuit so many times before — he earned running back MVP at The Opening Regional March 31 and heads to The Opening Finals June 30-July 3 — the 6-0, 215-pounder provided pointers for the fellow Knights as they spent their day in competition with more than 30 schools on campus.
“Martavian Johnson, Jasean Cogburn, Ernest Witcher, Cam Mizer, Jacob Petit — the list goes on,” Trayanum told BSB. “A couple of our guys came out here just to show out, see what they have and, honestly, try to just get looks from all these schools that were out here today.
“(I tell them) just win every rep. If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it. Just go 100 percent, full speed. It’s easy to correct (mistakes), but if you’re not giving full effort, it’s hard to play. So just go in every play and try to win every rep.”
Trayanum’s appearance in Columbus was his first since March 19 when he visited for the Buckeyes’ third practice of spring camp. The return preluded the third of his five available official visits, which he begins Monday at OSU.
New head coach Ryan Day, fifth-year running backs coach Tony Alford and other staffers will reconnect with Trayanum before he takes his Penn State official visit next Friday through Sunday and announces his commitment decision July 1.
“Honestly, just making close bonds with the players that are here now (is most important) — guys soon to be my teammates,” Trayanum said. “It’s just hard to say because everything (at Ohio State), I’ve been so familiar with.
“My relationships with the coaches here now are strong. Probably (looking most for) making them stronger and feeling comfortable.
“I just feel comfortable every time I come down here, so every time I come down here, it feels like home. It’s always great to be down here.”
The Buckeyes official visit comes after Trayanum took trips in the same capacity with Arizona State (May 17-19) and Wisconsin (June 7-9). Culture stood out during each official visit, Trayanum said.
While the Badgers represent an option as star running backs get churned out every few years with junior Jonathan Taylor (5-11, 219) their latest, they have competition. Second-year head coach Herm Edwards and the Sun Devils, despite their location, should not be ruled out against OSU and its Big Ten competitors while they build an NFL staff.
“With both visits, the culture at both schools is amazing,” the 247Sports composite’s No. 311 overall prospect, No. 24 running back and No. 5 player in Ohio for 2020 said. “Wisconsin is really built on tradition and academics.
“Arizona State has, to me, something big brewing. Honestly, with the coaches they have now — just bringing in (former Cincinnati Bengals head coach and ASU special advisor Marvin) Lewis — has something big brewing.
“Those two schools, they bring something to the table.”
