Marcus Crowley Working Through "Minor Setback" from Knee Injury

One year after Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a terrific season for the Buckeyes, the backfield is perhaps more crowded and full of potential than one might expect. But while each of the players in that backfield are very talented, each of them are either inexperienced or trying to come back from injuries.

When Master Teague suffered an Achilles injury in March, Marcus Crowley appeared to be in position to receive first team reps for the remainder of spring practice. Of course, that never materialized because of the pandemic.

With Master Teague working his way back and Trey Sermon not even in the transfer portal back in March, Crowley was thought to be the next man in line. But his recovery from a knee injury hasn't gone totally as planned either.

“We did have a minor setback with him, but he's coming back strong now,” running backs coach Tony Alford said on Tuesday of Crowley.

Several weeks ago, head coach Ryan Day said Crowley was “still working his way back into practice.” Two weeks ago, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson mentioned that Crowley was not “quite full speed” yet. On Tuesday, Alford confirmed Crowley still isn’t fully healthy.

“When he'll be back, I don't know that,” Alford said. “I'm not a doctor. That's up to our training staff and (physical therapist Adam Stewart), our rehab guys. They’ll kind of tell me and coach Day, ‘Here's what we've got. Here's what we're working with,’ and when he can come back and how much he can handle, his stress loads and things like that. So I really don't know when he'll be back.”

Crowley, a former standout in Florida as the high school Gatorade Player of the Year from the Jacksonville area, ran 25 times last year for 237 yards and a touchdown.

“I do know he's coming back and incrementally coming back a little bit more every single day,” Alford said. “So, how fast that's going to be when it's full speed, I don't have an answer to that. But he's fine. Mentally, he's fine. He understands where he's at. It is what it is.

“Obviously, it's a setback. You can sit and sulk if you want, but it is what it is. This is the hand that we're dealt with and we make the best of it and we get ourselves to play when we can and do as much as you possibly can, as much as Master did. You get yourself ready to go the best of your abilities and spend as much time as you humanly possibly can to get yourself prepared for when the time comes, you're ready to go.”

Crowley likely feels the sense of urgency to get healthy and showcase his ability because things are happening fast around him. Trey Sermon transferred in from Oklahoma, and even if he doesn't actually start, Sermon will be a pivotal player for the Buckeyes this year. Sermon said Tuesday he's never felt better after recovering from a knee injury. Meanwhile, Master Teague says he is ready to go (even if the coaches aren't quite ready to put him in a game for 70 plays yet). And beyond that, TreVeyon Henderson and Evan Pryor (two of the most highly rated running backs in the country) are coming to Columbus as incoming freshman for next season.

While it could be tough news for Crowley individually, the good thing for Buckeye fans is that there are an awful lot of options to fill the enormous void left by J.K. Dobbins. Steele Chambers, freshman Miyan Williams and walk-on Xavier Johnson have also gotten some attention during camp.

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