Buckeye Football Freshman Focus 2019

Steele Chambers signed with Ohio State over offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan, LSU, Penn State, Clemson, and Wisconsin.

Chambers was ranked the No. 11 athlete in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 231 player overall. The reason he was listed as an athlete and not a running back is because, at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he was also an outstanding linebacker prospect.

In fact, he was an All-State linebacker for his Blessed Trinity Catholic team in Roswell, Georgia.

As a running back, he rushed for over 1,500 yards last season in helping Blessed Trinity to a second-consecutive state title.

Chambers rushed for 1,301 yards as a junior and 1,486 as a sophomore.

While Chambers could still ultimately end up on defense for the Buckeyes, it appears as though his career will begin with the offense.

What To Like

Any time a true freshman running back steps on campus at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, the coaches know they have a big back who is likely to only get bigger.

Such is the case for Chambers, who will benefit from Mickey Marotti’s strength program at OSU.

Even as a high schooler, however, he seemed plenty strong.

People will see his listed size and assume he is a power running back. That assumption would be both correct and also not the entire story.

Ohio State freshman RB Steele Chambers is a versatile athlete who could play both offense and defense. He carries that kind of versatility with him at running back where he brings size, speed, vision, and power (which you can see below). pic.twitter.com/Q2sBfJPWOM
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 31, 2019

Chambers is a taller back, but is able to get low when he needs to.

His vision also stands out. He picks through a defense from flat angles, which you don’t normally see from the bigger, taller backs.

He is a patient runner who is comfortable waiting a tick for a void to open. Chambers also quickly finds the next defender as well. He is rarely caught flatfooted.

Steele Chambers also shows good patience and vision. He's not just looking to lower his head and collide. pic.twitter.com/hqKzzzpTrr
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 31, 2019

The Potential

Steele Chambers is a big back with speed, agility, and vision. He checks quite a few boxes.

Speed is a question, but the answers he provides seem sufficient.

Chambers is not just a power back, however. He can also outrun a defense. pic.twitter.com/az49SFcY8R
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 31, 2019

Chambers is an impressive player all over the field and on both sides of the ball. If this was Urban Meyer’s offense still, Chambers could even be projected as a big H-back.

As it is, his hands appear good enough to get the ball thrown his way no matter where he lines up in Ryan Day’s offense.

The Expectations

Every running back that Ohio State signs is expected to be a starter at some point, and that is no different for Steele Chambers.

He has been a productive running back for most of his high school career and is accustomed to being a workhorse.

Barring anything unforeseen, however, he won’t have to worry about wearing a saddle this year. As the least experienced of Ohio State’s five scholarship running backs — including classmate Marcus Crowley — finding playing time this year is going to be tough.

Down the road, however, there’s plenty of reason to expect an impact.

The Bottom Line

Just because Steele Chambers was an All-State linebacker doesn’t mean he would be misplaced on offense.

And it’s probably not accurate to assume he is a linebacker playing running back. Think of him instead as a running back who can also play linebacker pretty well.

Or just consider him one of the best multi-threat athletes in the 2019 recruiting class.

Ohio State lists Chambers as a running back, but no matter where he ends up, the Buckeyes should find themselves with a natural athlete who picks things up quickly and with quality results.