Ohio State Buckeyes' true freshman running back Bo Jackson has already caught the attention of head coach Ryan Day after two strong performances this season.

The hype surrounding Ohio State Buckeyes' freshman running back Bo Jackson continues to grow as the program heads into their Big Ten Conference schedule for the 2025 college football season.

Despite not seeing the field in the team's week one victory over the Texas Longhorns, the former four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class has quickly emerged as one of the best rusher for the Buckeyes this season. And after his remarkable two-game stretch, head coach Ryan Day has begun to take note of the rising star.

When asked about how special Jackson is or can be, Day made it clear to reporters on Tuesday that he believes the freshman has talent. 

"It doesn't take a veteran coach to recognize talent when you see it, and Bo [Jackson] has talent," Day said when asked about Jackson. "And we are going to keep bringing him along. It's a long season, and so we are going to continue to give him the opportunities to prove that we can trust him with the ball in his hands - so far he's done that."

Day would also go on to highlight Jackson's vision and pass catching ability, while also claiming he checks a lot of the boxes as a running back.

"You can see his vision, his ability to catch the ball. He's got a lot of different skills," Day stated. "We're going to keep bringing him along and the more he can take, the more we're gonna give him. But I also think, 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, all those things. And he's checked these boxes."

As the program's leader in rushing yards through three games this season, Jackson exceeded expectations in his limited workload. The Cleveland, OH native has rushed for 217 yards and one touchdown on just 18 carries, putting him at 12.1 yards per carry. His combination of size and speed allows him to be a threat as a runner inside and outside of the tackles, which makes him a perfect candidate to eventually be the lead back for Ohio State.

With former Buckeyes' running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, the ground game on offense became a huge question mark in the offseason. Day landed former West Virginia star CJ Donaldson in the transfer portal to pair with sophomore James Peoples, which led the duo becoming the one-two punch that Ohio State rolled out in week one.

However, both have struggled to truly establish themselves on offense through the program's first three games. Both Donaldson and Peoples have combined for 277 rushing yards on 58 carries, which puts them at a roughly 4.8 yards per carry.

The addition of Jackson into the running back core has already helped the Buckeyes win on the ground this season. His ability to break off big-time runs while also being a threat in the passing game will continue to help make his case for an increased workload for the rest of the season.