Between Jeremiah Smith’s incredible domination and Julian Sayin’s arm, the Buckeyes have been crushing defenses. But behind all the spectacle, a subtle plot twist has been taking place in the backfield. One freshman RB has begun to make headlines in a way that no one expected. Week after week, he is making everyone pay attention, even if he wasn’t meant to take on the burden that the Buckeyes didn’t realize they needed.

In a recent X post, RB Bo Jackson made it clear straight away that this season meant more to him than just a stat line. He claimed that becoming the top rusher for the nation’s best squad is “pretty much literally a dream come true,” something he has dreamed of as a kid. And since he has been focused on earning each carry, his goal is beginning to come true. He stressed that he gained the coaching staff’s trust by “listening to everything ” they say and following their advice.

That mentality has already pushed him to the top of the depth chart. That’s why Ryan Day felt comfortable comparing him to Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, two backs who both ran for over a thousand yards and were selected in the second round of the NFL draft. And you definitely don’t get discussed with guys like that until you are doing something exceptional.

His surroundings play a significant role in his development. When asked how Coach Locke helped him become what he is, he stated that he “worked me really hard.. got on me about every little thing,” but in a way that obviously made him sharper. When he initially came, CJ Dodson and James Peoples helped him a lot. He said they “Helped me when I first got here, just mentoring me and taking me through the process.” That shows the role of the seasoned players in the running back room.

Even though he speaks softly, you can sense the pride in his voice when he talks about how “all the guys, whole offensive line, everybody” flew over to join him in celebrating his first touchdown. With 105 yards against Penn State in Week 10, another 75 yards the following week, and the best PFF grade of any rookie running back in the nation, that bond has helped him get through his freshman year.

For someone who lost much of his senior season due to injury and rarely touched the field in 2024, the speed of this journey may have been overwhelming. He just stated that he intends to “keep working hard, keep my head down… keep working.” Off the field, he remains the same Cleveland kid who plays center field and throws in baseball jokes about being named after Bo Jackson. Even though Ohio State may have landed its next great running back, he still views himself as a freshman trying to do things correctly.

Bo Jackson is quietly becoming Ohio State’s next great RB

This season, Ohio State’s run game has taken a while to settle down, but Bo Jackson has been a constant source of inspiration throughout all the ups and downs. The fact that the freshman made history by becoming the first Buckeye to carry for 100 yards in each of his first two games after not even touching the ball in Week 1 still seems pretty unreal. And as soon as he started rolling, things started to click.

Due to an injury suffered during his senior year, the young player, who had little to no experience with high school games, appeared to be the finest runner on the field. Even he admits that the transition has been tough, describing it as both “really fun” and a reminder that “everything in my game I have to work on.” He has piled up 613 running yards, 95 carries, over 750 total yards from scrimmage, and the confidence of a coaching staff that consistently gives him the ball when it counts.

Ryan Day didn’t casually bring up Quinshon Judkins when talking about Jackson. He specifically highlighted a short-yardage play in which Jackson effectively “brought his own blocker” by driving past a free defender in the hole. These are the times when a staff member’s perception of you shifts. These are the times when you go from being just a promising freshman to that guy. And if this is just the beginning, the Buckeyes might have found their next workhorse much sooner than anyone expected.