Ohio State running back Isaiah West is shaking up the Ohio State backfield early in training camp.
The biggest surprise of the Ohio State training camp so far is in the backfield. The season-long backup from a year ago, Isaiah West, is running with the first team as the starting back.
Now, it is very early in camp, still, but the early leapfrog by West over Bo Jackson is nothing short of a major surprise. These two together were a very nice one-two punch as freshmen, but the stakes are higher heading into year two.
Ohio State was above average on the ground last year, as they averaged, as a team, 4.5 yards per carry and a solid 154 yards per game. It wasn't until week five and game No. 4 that the Buckeyes went to the freshman duo. Jackson took the torch and ran with it. He finished the year with over 1,000 yards on the ground and was massive in Ohio State's win over Michigan.
He was the odds-on favorite to be the leading back for the Buckeyes this year until West seemingly hopped him this year.
According to head coach Ryan Day, West had "one of the best offseasons" in the entire program, which gives Ohio State some options in the backfield.
Last year, West finished the year with 310 yards on just 59 carries, finding the end zone twice. It was the fourth-highest total in each category in the Buckeyes' backfield last year, as he averaged 5.3 yards per attempt.
There is a third layer to this running back competition, and that is with the current youngster, Legend Bey.
Bey has missed the first two days of practice due to reported conduct detrimental to the team, and he was not in attendance for those practices. The incident has not been disclosed, but the understanding is that it isn't a major deal and he will be back on the team without issue.
If that is the case, the hype around that young player couldn't be higher, and the Buckeyes invested in him. They are going to want to get him on the field almost certainly, and if that is the case, winning the top running back spot is paramount.
Long story short, there is going to be a player who saw significant carriers and made legitimately big plays for Ohio State last year that might be the third option in the Buckeyes' backfield.
It is a battle that is a surprise to start camp, but one that will have the attention of Buckeye Nation moving forward.
