Ohio State’s running back room holds a lot of depth and is led by Bo Jackson. Here’s a breakdown of Carlos Locklyn’s unit. 

The 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes will open their season on September 5th at home against Ball State, as they begin their quest to win their second national title in a three-year span. In the last breakdown, the quarterback room was discussed, breaking down what happened last year and what fans can expect this season.

Similar to the quarterback room, the running back room will be led by a familiar face coming off of a great first season as a starter. Behind the starter, there are questions about productivity, the pecking order, and more. Let’s dive into some of the storylines circulating around the group of running backs on Ryan Day’s roster for the 2026 college football season.

Can Bo Jackson Carry Over Momentum from His Freshman Season

Last year’s running back room had similar questions about who would get carries throughout the year. CJ Donaldson was a West Virginia transfer who found the end zone for the first touchdown of the year against Texas, and often got the touches in the red zone and on the goal line. The bigger, more experienced back seemed to be listed as the starter, but true freshman Bo Jackson started to eat away at his carries as well as the rest of the running back room.

Jackson had 10 or fewer carries in four of the first six games of the season but, down the stretch, saw a bigger workload with 15, 19, 22, 17, and 11 carries in the final five games. Jackson had six games of 100+ rushing yards, with four of those coming in the final five games of the regular season. Game scripts didn’t help his case in the playoffs, but Jackson showed plenty of flashes and promise as a youngster.

He arguably had his best game of the season against TTUN and did not seem fazed by the environment or circumstances whatsoever. He was finishing runs, catching passes, and talking trash while doing it. He finished the game with 22 carries for 117 yards and four receptions for 49 yards. Overall, he found the end zone six times on the ground and one time through the air.

Some fans might be used to a slightly more explosive running back, and Buckeye Nation has been spoiled in recent years and throughout the program’s entire history with elite running backs. Even recently with the likes of TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, J.K. Dobbins, Ezekiel Elliott – or even further back with Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Beanie Wells, Maurice Clarett, and Keith Byars. Give Bo Jackson a little more time, and he will hopefully show that his first season was no fluke.

Who Helps Carry the Load Behind Jackson this Season?

It is even more common in today’s game to see running backs share the workload, and at a place like Ohio State, plenty of guys will get their chance due to blowouts, injuries, momentum, and more. Last season, all four running backs had at least 59 carries, 310 yards, and two touchdowns, with backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz also having double-digit carries and two touchdowns.

With Julian Sayin not a running quarterback, the running backs will again be responsible for finishing drives and finding the end zone. Another talented freshman from last season was Isaiah West, and he might be the first off the bench for this offense after Jackson in 2026. He had 59 carries, 310 yards, and two touchdowns. Although he didn’t play in every game, he saw more touches late in the season with nine, eight, eight, and six carries in the last four regular season games.

After the two freshmen, there are a handful of new names joining this young and unfamiliar backfield. Ja’Kobi Jackson transfers in from Florida and is the most experienced player by far, with this being his seventh collegiate season. He had 95 carries, 509 yards, and seven touchdowns for Florida in 2024, followed by just 98 yards last season as he missed time due to injury.

Anthony Rogers and Legend Bey are two freshmen who will bring some life into the running back room, and both will potentially see playing time early on in blowout games, especially Bey. Rogers is often referred to as “Turbo” given his speed and gadget-like abilities; he flipped from Alabama to Ohio State and brings a unique skill set to the backfield.

Bey is also a dynamic back and athlete who flipped his recruitment from Tennessee to Ohio State and had a great high school career. Ryan Day said Bey reminds him of Tyreek Hill and that he is “lightning in a bottle.”

Hitting the Home Run

Whether it was Ezekiel Elliott running 85 yards through the heart of the south or TreVeyon Henderson bursting through the hole on the first play of the drive for a 66-yard touchdown in the Rose Bowl, some of the biggest plays in the last few decades have been by the running backs.

It was Quinshon Judkins who had three touchdowns in the National Championship, but I will never forget being there and seeing Judkins gallop across the field on his 70-yard run, which set up his touchdown a few plays later to give the Buckeyes a commanding 28-7 lead.

Last season, led by Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, the Buckeye offense found its explosive plays through the air. From Jeremiah Smith’s 87-yard catch and run against Grambling State – the 2nd longest passing play in program history – to Carnell Tate’s long touchdowns against TTUN, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Julian Sayin is a gunslinger who will get guys the ball in space and let them work, but the offensive line and running backs will need to help take the load off with chunk plays of their own. If they can elevate their games, this offense and team could be looking at another deep postseason run.