The Ohio State Buckeyes have finally found their lead back for the 2025 college football season with freshman star Bo Jackson.

After having one of the best running back duos at their disposal in 2024, the Ohio State Buckeyes are now finding clarity within the program’s run game this season with freshman Bo Jackson.

Last year, head coach Ryan Day achieved success on offense thanks to both running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. The veteran backs combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground, while also tallying 24 touchdowns. This one-two punch led to the Buckeyes’ offense being one of the best in the country, while also paving the way for the program to win the National Championship.

However, with both Judkins and Henderson being selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Ohio State was left with a grim rushing attack for the 2025 season. Day was able to land former West Virginia standout CJ Donaldson in the portal, but the bruiser running back has yet to truly establish himself with the Buckeyes.

In addition to Donaldson, sophomore running back James Peoples was expected to take on a much larger role on offense, forming another rushing duo to replace Judkins and Henderson.

Unfortunately for the offense, the plans have quickly changed through five games this year due to the emergence of Jackson.

In Ohio State’s highly anticipated week one matchup against the Texas Longhorns, Day relied on both Donaldson and Peoples to handle the run game, which resulted in the two combining for 87 rushing yards on 29 carries. And while the measly rushing attack did enough to help the Buckeyes win, it was clear that the team’s efforts on the ground would need to dramatically improve for the rest of the season.

Luckily for the offense, Jackson dominated in his first-ever college appearance in week two, as the Cleveland, OH native finished with 108 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine carries against the Grambling State Tigers. His performance in week two led to him receiving a larger workload for Ohio State’s week three and five matchups against Ohio and Washington, as he entered week six with 297 rushing yards on 25 attempts.

If it wasn’t clear that Jackson was bound to take over the starting running back role this year for fans, it would eventually become a reality in week six when facing the Minnesota Golden Gophers at home. Jackson was the first halfback to receive a carry in the contest, and ultimately ended the night with 63 rushing yards and one touchdown on 13 carries.

Jackson’s unique blend of size and speed allows him to be a perfect three-down running back for the Buckeyes. At 6-foot, 217 lbs, the former four-star recruit is effective inside the tackles, while offering the offense a potential home-run threat with the ball in his hands.

Obviously, this is a stark difference from Day’s two-back approach from 2024, but Jackson’s capability of doing it all on the ground gives the Buckeyes everything they need for an efficient run game.