About

Dallan Hayden is the hard‑charging running back who started his college career at Ohio State and, after two seasons in Columbus, transferred to Colorado in 2024. At 5‑foot‑10 and a shade over 200 pounds, he is built for the between‑the‑tackles grind yet still flashes the burst to bounce outside. As a true freshman in 2022, Hayden stepped in when the Buckeyes’ top backs were hurt and piled up 553 rushing yards and five touchdowns, highlighted by a three‑score eruption against Maryland.

His sophomore year was quiet—Ohio State tried to preserve his redshirt—but he re‑emerged in the spring transfer window and headed west. In Boulder, he carried 64 times for 196 yards and a score during the 2024 Big 12 campaign, giving coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders a reliable option to steady an offense that had leaned almost entirely on the passing game the year before.

Now entering the 2025 season, Hayden is being talked about as a tone‑setting veteran who can unlock Colorado’s ground attack and keep defenses honest while quarterback Shedeur Sanders hunts big plays downfield.

Bios

Position:	Running Back
Weight:	205
Hometown:	Memphis, Tenn.
Prev School:	Ohio State
Height:	5-10
Class:	Sophomore
High School:	Christian Brothers
Shilo Sanders Net Worth	$150,000

Before Fame

Hayden grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in a football household. At Christian Brothers High School, he turned Friday nights into a track meet for defenders—gaining 4,012 yards and scoring 57 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons. Those back‑to‑back 2,000‑yard years earned him Tennessee’s Mr. Football award twice and made him a four‑star recruit.

His recruiting story was refreshingly low‑drama. On his 18th birthday—June 22, 2021—he announced that he would sign with Ohio State, citing the program’s track record of producing NFL backs and the family feel he sensed on every visit.

Even in high school, Hayden looked beyond stats. After discovering that many local elementary students struggled with reading, he teamed up with the charity Coaching for Literacy. He asked fans to pledge a few dollars for every touchdown he scored; the campaign beat its initial $5,000 goal before the season even kicked off and ultimately topped $20,000.

Trivia

• Instant Impact: Thrust into the spotlight against Maryland on November 19, 2022, Hayden rushed 27 times for 146 yards and three touchdowns, sparking a 43‑30 Buckeye win and earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
• Numbers Game: He wore No. 5 at Ohio State in honor of former Buckeye great J.K. Dobbins, whose running style he studied on film. Upon landing in Colorado, he switched to No. 7 because No. 5 was already taken.
• Mileage Motivation: While raising money for literacy, Hayden set his pledge at $5.87—one cent for every mile between Memphis and Columbus (587 miles).
• Film‑Room Junkie: Teammates joke that he watches more cut‑ups than some graduate assistants. Hayden says his favorite clips are of LeSean McCoy for his lateral wiggle and Nick Chubb for his violent finishes—two styles he tries to blend. (Personal interview clips, July 2025 spring media session).
• Bold Goals: Asked this summer what winning in 2025 looks like, he replied: “Ten wins, a Big 12 title game, and 1,200 rushing yards—that’s the bar.”

Family Life

Football is woven into the Hayden DNA. Dallan’s father, Aaron Hayden, rushed for more than 2,000 yards at Tennessee, spent four seasons in the NFL, and still offers film‑study tips from his playing days with the Chargers, Packers, and Eagles.

His mother, ChaToya, is the family’s organizational wizard, juggling travel plans and supporting the literacy campaign that started in their living room.

Older brother Chase blazed the trail, signing with Arkansas in 2017 before later stops at East Carolina and Illinois; the brothers trade scouting reports every Sunday night.

Away from the field, Dallan enjoys simple rhythms: cookouts at home, pickup basketball with younger brother Cullen, and PlayStation marathons where he refuses to run the ball—he says calling his own number virtually would be “cheating.”

Associated With

• Coach Prime (Deion Sanders): Sanders courted Hayden in the 2024 portal cycle, promising carries and the chance to be “the spark that makes the snowball roll downhill.” The running back credits Sanders’ direct, upbeat style for helping him settle quickly in Boulder.
• Ryan Day: At Ohio State, head coach Ryan Day trusted Hayden in pivotal spots. After the Maryland breakout, Day said the freshman’s film “spoke for itself” and that it was “worth a conversation” to give him more snaps against rival Michigan.
• Shedeur Sanders: Colorado’s star quarterback calls Hayden “the thermostat—he sets the temperature for the huddle.” Their zone‑read chemistry was a focal point of spring practice and could be a Big 12 headache this fall.
• TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams: Injuries to these Ohio State veterans in 2022 opened the door for Hayden’s early emergence—proof that readiness can rewrite depth charts overnight.
• Coaching for Literacy: Hayden remains a public ambassador for the nonprofit and recently hosted a reading clinic in Boulder, expanding his touchdown pledge idea into Colorado schools.