One of the weaknesses of the Ohio State offense in 2025 was its rushing attack. In 2024, the Buckeyes were led to a national championship by two future NFL stars. Their departure left a chasm to be filled by unproven commodities. As a result, the 2025 Buckeyes had the second-worst rushing attack over the last 21 seasons of Ohio State football (2023 was worse with 138.8 yards per game).
While the Ohio State rushing attack was disappointing, a star emerged amongst the chaos: Bo Jackson. The true freshman ran for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns despite not playing in the season-opening game against Texas. Heading into 2026, he’s the obvious starter at running back.
However, due to shoulder surgery, Jackson will be unavailable for spring practice. The projected next man up, Isaiah West, is in the same spot with a shoulder surgery of his own. Ryan Day said the surgeries are just to clean things up, so there is no long-term concern.
So, with the top two out, therein lies a great opportunity for the Ohio State depth pieces to show what they can do.
Spring Buckeye Breakdown: All Eyes on Running Back Depth
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Buckeyes running back Ja'Kobi Jackson
Sep 20, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Ja’Kobi Jackson (24) carries the football against the Miami Hurricanes during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Five running backs logged at least one snap for the Buckeyes last year. Jackson and West are out, CJ Donaldson graduated, and James Peoples and Sam Dixon transferred out. So, the only player in the running back room with any kind of experience is the Florida transfer, Ja’Kobi Jackson.
Jackson comes to Ohio State with one year of eligibility remaining after spending three seasons at the JUCO level and three seasons at Florida. At Coahoma Community College, he ran for 1,390 yards and 14 touchdowns. Then, at Florida, Jackson ran for 607 yards and seven scores. However, he led the way in 2024 and was in the process of leading the way last year before his injury.
He will likely be the first back taking snaps. However, despite being the elder statesman of the room, he may not retain that role with so much talent behind him.
Living up to the Name
Further down the depth chart, the Buckeyes have three backs with incredible football names. Redshirt freshman Anthony “Turbo” Rogers is poised to take a considerable number of snaps with Jackson. After fully redshirting last year, the former IMG Academy star is smaller, but he is a burner. According to 247Sports‘ initial write-up, he reminds them of DaVon Achane and already has a 4.48 40-yard dash time.
The true freshmen rounding up the room are Favour Akih and Legend Bey. Akih comes from Ohio and is a physical back on the younger side. He was a two-way player at running back and linebacker. At six feet and 190 pounds, Akih could develop into a real threat.
Bey, meanwhile, was at the center of one of the wildest stories of the recruiting cycle. Initially a Tennessee commit, Bey flipped to Ohio State. Then, when it looked like he was an inch away from signing, he flipped back to Tennessee. However, there were rumors that he was not the one making those decisions. Rather, his mother and brother were taking control of his social media and essentially forcing him to sign with Tennessee. In the end, he flipped back to Ohio State, was released from his LOI, and will be a Buckeye. Bey is an explosive athlete and is a fan favorite to make an early impact.
Battle for RB3
It’s not a foregone conclusion that the pecking order will be Jackson then West. However, it’s a very good possibility simply due to their already-established abilities and experience. The Ohio State run game was not great, but Jackson and West gave the offense a little juice that it was missing. It makes sense to assume that they will be the top two.
Of course, just as they did, a talented newcomer could make things interesting, especially with both missing all of spring. All four depth running backs will have plenty of opportunities to make a mark.
If we had to make a projection, Jackson (the Florida transfer) will enter spring as RB3. His veteran presence will be great for the running back room, but a younger player will end up passing him by as practices go by. It may not be obvious, but Rogers, Bey, or Akih could rocket up the depth chart by the time Fall camp rolls around. The Spring Game will be the grandest stage for the Buckeye depth backs; look for them to make their mark.
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