Bo Jackson
A freshman named Bo Jackson ran for over 1,000 yards at Ohio State last fall -- joining a list that includes Maurice Clarett and JK Dobbins. The name is a coincidence. The talent isn't.
Buzz vs Tape
Fans warmer than rivals
His own fans are far more bullish than the rival fanbase.
Ohio State Buckeyes’ young running backs face big expectations—can they power the offense to a national title? Carlos Locllyn puts his faith in up-and-coming stars like Bo Jackson, Legend Bey, and Ja'Kobi Jackson, insisting that patience…
— Locked On Podcast Network
Also worth knowing:
The story
Jackson's first season was a statement: 1,090 rushing yards at 6.1 a carry, enough to make him the fifth true freshman in Ohio State history to crack 1,000 -- company that includes Robert Smith, Maurice Clarett, JK Dobbins, and TreVeyon Henderson. A teammate, James Peoples, transferred out this offseason in part because Jackson had simply become the guy.
The forward case is about the gap between good and great. He scored just six rushing touchdowns -- low for an Ohio State back -- and may share carries with returning and added depth, so 2026 is about efficiency and finishing, not just volume. On a national-title contender stacked with Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, a back who turns 1,000 quiet yards into 1,400 loud ones is the piece that tips a very good offense into an unstoppable one. The name will always draw the double-take. This is the year he makes people remember him for his own.
Career Arc
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 3 · RecognizedR09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
All-Conference HM / 2nd team. Conference recognition has started.
Recognition
Production
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | 179 | 1,090 | 6.1 | 6 | -- |
| Career | 179 | 1,090 | 6.1 | 6 | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | 19 | 200 | 10.5 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 19 | 200 | 10.5 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2025
W 24–6
at Washington
80 rush yds (17 car)
How he plays
Play style
Jackson is a one-cut runner with a second gear -- he presses the hole, plants, and is past the second level before the angle closes, which shows up as an 85th-percentile yards-per-carry and a 72nd-percentile explosive-run rate as a true freshman. He's not just a between-the-tackles back; 19 catches keep him on the field on third down, a fit for the way Ohio State spreads you out and runs behind it. The honest gap is the finish: his success rate sat in the 41st percentile and his touchdown rate in the bottom fifteen -- he hits the big one but doesn't yet own the grind or the red zone, which is how a back with his yardage scored only six times. So 2026 isn't about whether he's good; it's whether the explosive freshman becomes the complete one -- the same chunk runs, more of them ending in the end zone.
Our classifier reads him the same way: hits the crease and outruns the angle.
2026 Outlook
Ohio State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Running back · Ohio State
Returning around him
- 31% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 11 Ohio State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -20 net (17 in / 37 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ohio State · Last season: 12-2 (AP #3) · Talent rank #3 · 2026 recruiting class #4
Perception vs tape
Jackson's first season was a statement: 1,090 rushing yards at 6.1 a carry, enough to make him the fifth true freshman in Ohio State history to crack 1,000 -- company that includes Robert Smith, Maurice Clarett, JK Dobbins, and TreVeyon Henderson. A teammate, James Peoples, transferred out this offseason in part because Jackson had simply become the guy.
Read the story →DNA match
Player DNA
Speed Merchant
Cuts upfield fast. Designed to find the crease, not run through the line.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to King Miller’s 2025 season.
Matches King on
Differs from King on
Through 1 college season, his career arc tracks closest to Marcellous Hawkins’s path through Virginia Tech.
Matches Marcellous on
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to King Miller's freshman season at USC (2025).
Matches King on
Differs from King on
Player DNA
Players who play like Bo Jackson
Heisman trajectory
Heisman Trajectory · 2025
Peak #65
Peaked at #65 this season.
Background
Career Highs 22 Attempts at Michigan (Nov. 29, 2025) 117 Rushing Yards at Michigan (Nov. 29, 2025) 2 Rushing Touchdown vs. Rutgers (Nov. 22, 2025) 64 Rush Long vs. Ohio (Sept. 13, 2025) 5 Receptions at Wisconsin (Oct. 18, 2025) 57 Receiving Yards at Wisconsin (Oct. 18, 2025) 1 Receiving Touchdown...