Since arriving at Ohio State in 2024, Coach Carlos Locklyn has helped boost the Buckeyes’ reputation with top running backs. However, the Buckeyes’ latest recruiting miss shows his style is not built to please everyone.

“They didn’t come here for me to be nice to them. I told them, ‘I ain’t your best friend. I’m not trying to be your best friend. If you want to be my friend, guess how you become my friend. Make plays, do your job,'” said Locklyn during an interview with Buckeye Huddle this week, according to The Buckeye Nut.

“We can be best friends all day. Then you told me you wanted to become the best running back. You want to be developed. Well, guess what? That takes me having tough love sometimes. That takes me; I have to get at you sometimes.”

Carlos Locklyn’s approach may seem ruthless, but his goal is simple. He’s all about coaching hard, demanding more, and pushing players toward the next level. And he wants to be loyal to his promise to student-athletes, even if that leads to ruthlessness and taking harsh decisions sometimes.

“I’m not gonna cheat you because I damn sure I don’t cheat myself. I’m gonna go at you, so that’s where that comes from. So I can’t demonstrate it. It’s just when I’m out there on the field, I am going at my kids,” added Locklyn.

The OSU RB coach’s track record clearly reveals he has all the tools to transform talent into game wins. Two years ago, his leadership built an outstanding RB duo, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, in Columbus. That duo not only put up great performances in the national title game vs. the Irish, but they also played a big role in bringing the title home. Now, they are making waves in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Locklyn’s production of elite RBs continues at OSU. Ohio State’s current room still has real talent, with Bo Jackson leading the way and Isaiah West showing flashes in limited action last season. To produce such talents, Locklyn uses that tough-love style as a weapon to bring the best out of his players, but that doesn’t impact his love for them.

“I don’t cuss at my kids… They know when I get upset; there’s a word, boy, I’m country. It’ll come out of my mouth. But other than that, I respect my kids. I love them. You never see them talk back to me. They just say, ‘Yes, sir.’ That’s a sign of respect and love. They know I care about them. So, I love coaching, man. Love pointing to these kids,” explained the OSU RB coach.

That mix of hard coaching and personal care is part of Locklyn’s appeal, but it also shapes how recruits read Ohio State’s running back room.

Why the Buckeyes missed on a top target

OSU’s RB coach built a good relationship with David Gabriel Georges (DDG) since offering the 2027 5-star talent. Even DDG’s uncle admitted that, saying, “We might have the best position coach relationship with Coach Lock [OSU RB coach Carlos Locklyn], having been around him a long time.”

Ohio State offered a strong football case, but Georges’ decision also reflected relationships and the other factors that shape modern recruiting. Maybe he isn’t ready to grow in such an atmosphere where playing is the priority and relationships are secondary. So, DDG chose the Vols as his college destination.

Ohio State now has to go back to the drawing board, with its 2027 class still missing a running back commitment. The Buckeyes will have to find another target, and the next move could shape how this cycle unfolds for Carlos Locklyn and his room.