A year ago, the Ohio State football program landed a massive commitment from running back Bo Jackson. He chose Ohio State over Georgia and Alabama, which was a big win for Ryan Day's program, although he had to sit and wait in 2024 with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins on the roster.
Now, Jackson is in control of the Ohio State running back room. In two games, he has rushed for 217 yards with a score on just 18 carries. He did not play in the Week 1 win over Texas, but he had nine carries for 108 yards and a score against Grambling State and then nine carries for 109 yards against Ohio in Week 3.
As a result, Ohio State coach Ryan Day raved about freshman running back Bo Jackson, per Steve Helwagen of 247Sports.
“Well, I mean, we were just talking about that as an offensive staff. It doesn't take a veteran coach to recognize talent when you see it, and Bo has talent, and we're going to keep bringing him along. It's a long season, and so we're going to continue to give him the opportunities to prove that we can trust him with the ball in his hands,” Day said. “So far, he's done that. You can see his vision. You can see his ability to catch the ball.”
CJ Donaldson leads Ohio State with 33 carries, but he has 151 yards and two scores. James Peoples has 25 carries for 126 yards, but it is Jackson who is leading the way in total yards despite having fewer rushing attempts than the other two.
“He's got a lot of different skills,” Day said about Jackson. “We're going to keep bringing him along, and the more he can take, the more we're going to give him, but I also think there's, just like any other position, there's a way you bring guys along, and the number one thing is ball security, taking care of that football, and then there's pass protection, and then there's, you know, all those things, and he's checked these boxes. I mean, he's doing a nice job, so we're going to need everybody in that room.”
Ohio State has a bye in Week 4 before beginning Big Ten Conference play against Washington, and at this rate, it is going to be hard for Day to keep Jackson off the field.
