At both Oklahoma and Ohio State Sermon flashed a skill set that should translate to the pros
Teams looking to give their backfield a boost will have plenty of running back options to choose from in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, including Trey Sermon. Here's a look at what teams like and have some concerns about when it comes to taking a chance on the former Ohio State and Oklahoma lead back.
(This profile is one of 230 featured in the Athlon Sports 2021 NFL Draft Guide. With in-depth scouting reports on the top prospects, position rankings, and more, no source will have you better prepared for draft day. Click here to get your copy.)
Trey Sermon Draft Profile
College: Ohio State
Class: Sr.
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215
Strong Points
Sermon runs with urgency; he’s a slasher who can churn out tough yards. He was often used between the tackles, first at Oklahoma then Ohio State, accelerating quickly and showing impressive burst through the line of scrimmage. He’ll thrash his way through would-be tackles, and he shows good wiggle for a bigger back. He brings some value in the passing game as a capable receiver who can get upfield.
Weak Points
Sermon doesn’t show a lot of creativity and can sometimes be too eager to get upfield, missing cutback lanes and leaving yards on the field. Getting to play with two elite supporting casts against inferior competition covered up some of the rough edges. He’s more of a checkdown option than a chess piece in the passing game.
Summary
Sermon is probably a complementary back rather than a lead guy, and he doesn’t offer game-changing ability in the passing game. But he could carve out a role in short-yardage situations and possibly serving as a closer.
Final Grade: 4th round
| Year | G | ATT | YDS | YPC | TDS | REC | YDS | TDS |
| 2017 | 14 | 121 | 744 | 6.2 | 5 | 16 | 139 | 2 |
| 2018 | 14 | 164 | 947 | 6.0 | 13 | 12 | 181 | 0 |
| 2019 | 10 | 54 | 385 | 7.1 | 4 | 8 | 71 | 1 |
| 2020 | 8 | 116 | 870 | 8.0 | 4 | 12 | 95 | 0 |
| Career | 46 | 455 | 2,946 | 6.5 | 26 | 48 | 486 | 3 |
(Top photo courtesy of ohiostatebuckeyes.com)
