After a standout freshman season, Bo Jackson’s development could be the key to an ascension for Ohio State’s offense.

As a true freshman, Bo Jackson emerged as one of the pleasant surprises for OSU during the 2025 season. The Cleveland native’s explosiveness was evident from the moment he stopped on the field as Bo averaged a whopping 12 yards per carry on his first 18 carries of the year. With that, Coach Day quickly elevated him to a larger role, and the rest is history.

Jackson finished his freshman season with 1,090 yards at 6.1 YPC, along with 7 total TD’s. His ability to break off big runs added an important element to the offense, helping propel the Buckeyes to a 12-0 regular season. The postseason, of course, was a drastically different story.

Bo finished the regular season on a tear, eclipsing 100 yards rushing in the final three games, which was capped by arguably his best game of the season against Michigan, where he accounted for 166 total yards. However, much like the rest of the offense, he wasn’t able to find that same success against Indiana and Miami. This isn’t necessarily to say that Jackson was struggling mightily in the postseason, but his yards per carry dropped from 6.3 to 4.9 while averaging 69 yards between the two contests.

There will certainly be blame shifted to the offensive line for this drop in production, as that unit’s struggles were well documented and remain a concern. With that being said, both Bo and running backs coach Carlos Locklyn know he has plenty of room to grow both physically and mentally. “Bo’s biggest issue last year was actually getting bigger and stronger. The weight room brings confidence,” said Locklyn during spring media availability. “I think Bo’s around 219-220 (pounds). Now it’s [about] getting the mental aspect of the game.”

With these comments coming in April, one could deduce that Jackson will have put on a few more pounds by the time training camp rolls around. Bo is on board with the mission, saying, “I’ll be able to run through those arm tackles and break more tackles, bounce off more tackles, and make more plays.”  With his big play ability already evident and Arthur Smith entering the fold on offense, the coaching staff is hopeful that Bo will be able to take that elite leap in 2026.

“You’re going to see tremendous growth,” proclaimed Carlos Locklyn. He assures Buckeye nation that both Bo and Isaiah West will be “bigger, stronger, and they’re going to solve a few things” as Lockyln continued to insist that the mental game will be a difference-maker come fall, “I tell the kids all the time: Make knowledge your greatest talent. So now they’re getting the mental part.” Carlos’s passion to develop these guys is truly palpable.

If all these improvements do come to fruition, it will be a massive aid to an offense that will have to find its stride early against Texas and throughout a schedule that easily projects to be one of the toughest in the country. Not only will the offense line have to gel quickly and prove it has improved as a unit, but the wide receiver depth will certainly be a concern until proven otherwise.

Bo Jackson’s ability to win at the second level of the defense could take loads of pressure off of Julian Sayin and the O-Line, which is something that plagued Ohio State in the two biggest games of the season in 2026. After an impressive freshman campaign, Bo’s ascension as a playmaker may very well be the advantage that catapults this team through the treacherous schedule and into a championship run.

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