Count former Ohio State Heisman winner and current Fox college analyst Eddie George as a fan of Buckeyes tailback Carlos Hyde.
"He can be a monster, a superstar on the next level," George told the Chicago Tribune.
Hyde, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior, leads the Big Ten in rushing at 140.8 yards per game and is second with 14 rushing TDs. He has rushed for 1,408 yards and is the first Urban Meyer-coached running back to reach the 1,000-yard plateau.
Hyde was suspended for the first three games of the season for an incident at a Columbus, Ohio, bar, and George and Buckeyes coaches say the suspension helped Hyde grow up.
"I've seen him change as a total person," George told the Tribune.
Buckeyes running back coach Stan Drayton agrees. "It's not just about Carlos anymore," Drayton told the Tribune. "It's the team and the brotherhood."
Hyde has moved up draft boards with his performance this fall. NFL Media draft analyst Bucky Brooks calls Hyde an "old-school tailback with the size, strength and power that NFL scouts covet in feature backs." Brooks thinks Hyde could be a second-day draft pick, assuming he runs well enough at his Pro Day and/or at the combine.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
