Dallan Hayden wasn't expected to be a key contributor during the 2022 season.
Yet, due to injuries and the type of player he has already shown he is and can be, Hayden has proven to be a guy that Ryan Day can rely on.
At the start of fall camp, the true freshman – ranked as the No. 19 running back (No. 226 overall) in the 2022 recruiting class – was RB4 on the depth chart, behind TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Evan Pryor. Then, less than three weeks before the season was set to kick off, Pryor suffered a season-ending knee injury, moving Hayden to the third spot on the depth chart.