COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer produced plenty of offensive stars in his six years at Florida and piled up points, but college football fans may struggle to recall any top running backs featured in his system.

Although quarterback Tim Tebow won a Heisman and receiver Percy Harvin was an all-purpose whiz, the Gators never had a player gain 1,000 rushing yards in Meyer’s spread offense.

But the players who tote the ball for the Buckeyes need not worry about being under-utilized, said OSU running backs coach Stan Drayton, who was on Meyer’s staffs at Florida and Bowling Green. They’ll get plenty of work — and ample room to operate.

“At that time, we had to make an adjustment. Our best ball carriers were Tim Tebow and Percy Havin. In Urban Meyer’s system, the play-makers touch the football,” Drayton said. “We feel we have ball carriers here. They’re time-proven and game-ready. We have players who can perform at that level and gain 1,000 yards.”

Drayton said he’s had to fight the perception that Meyer’s spread attack isn’t running back-friendly in recruiting and among the team. Freshman Bri’onte Dunn, an early enrollee, was quoted as saying he didn’t want to play in a spread offense after Meyer first took the job.

“You have to educate them. They’re motivated by the NFL. When I flip on a film and show there’s backs in the NFL making a lot of money running out of the ’gun, all of a sudden a light comes on and they’re OK with it,” Drayton said.

Florida backs may not have had beefy rushing totals, but Chris Rainey averaged 7.8 yards per carry one season.

“The backs will be in space much more than when they can load the box (put extra defenders between the tackles) in a pro-style offense,” Drayton said. “There’s no doubt a back can flourish, and will flourish, in this offense.”