Ohio State’s running back room building depth in fall camp

Reilly Cahill
Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:00:10 +0000
Football, Instagram Page, News, Sports, Bo Jackson, Buckeye football, Buckeyes running backs, Isaiah West, Ja'Kobi Jackson, Ohio State Bo Jackson, ohio state football, Ohio State football running backs, Ohio State Isaiah West, Ohio State RBs, Ohio State running backs, OSU football running backs

Running back Bo Jackson (25) carrying the ball upfield at fall camp on Aug. 7. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Sports Photo Editor.

Ryan Day sat at a table during Big Ten Media Days on July 29 and emphasized how crucial running back play would be for the Buckeyes to succeed.

After the way the 2025 season ended, his concern was valid.?

Ohio State ran for its fewest rushing yards of Day’s head coaching tenure in losses to Indiana and Miami to end its season. Running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West also missed spring practice due to injury, raising the significance of the position group’s play in fall camp.?

“If we’re going to get to where we need to go, we need a high level of play at that running back position,” Day said. “This is critical.”

Jackson stood out during fall camp practices, continuing his growth from the Buckeyes’ leading rusher last season, becoming the fifth Buckeye running back to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards as a freshman.

“His reads and the way he’s hitting the hole has really shown up,” Day said Aug. 15. “He’s doing a much better job at the second level.”

Day looks for Jackson to take another step, including with his ability to make defenders miss in the second level.?

“If he continues to keep building and practicing and stacking these practices the way he’s doing it, it’s going to show up in a game and that’s going to be a big part of who we are this year,” Day said.?

He’s not the only running back that’s turned heads.?

New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith described that West and Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson have also made an impact.

“There’s a lot of talent in that room, Bo obviously had a lot of experience last year, Ja’Kobi’s played a lot of big-time football, [West’s] had a heck of an offseason,” Smith said.

Despite West and Bo Jackson missing spring practices, Wisconsin transfer linebacker Christian Alliegro believes the returning running back duo hasn’t missed a step in their return to the field.

“I knew [Bo Jackson] was fast last year but it seems like he’s gotten faster and when he hits that hole he just goes and he’s gone,” Alliegro said. “In terms of [West], I think he just got so much bigger and stronger, which also made him faster. I think he’s kind of like that downhill running back where he’s going to run you over if you don’t bring yourself, for sure.”

Ja’Kobi Jackson, who enters his seventh season of college football, was not scared away from the Buckeyes’ returning backfield when transferring to the Buckeyes.

“I thrive at my best throughout competition,” Ja’Kobi Jackson said.

Despite the crowded backfield, West is focused on how the mix of talent in the position group can help the team as the Buckeyes strive for the postseason.

“You can’t do it alone, you need an entire unit to kind of push you through, it’s a long season we expect to play all the way through January, so you need a multitude of backs,” West said.?

Although Day set the bar high for the running backs, Bo Jackson is not discouraged from the test.?

“It’s just a challenge given to us and we’ve just got to live up to the expectation,” Bo Jackson said.