Ohio State’s offense has performed way better than expected, considering it’s under the helm of redshirt freshman Julian Sayin. Sayin has a remarkable completion rate, which is close to 78% and the offense and OSU have logged almost 7 yards per play. The QB is good. The WR room is even better with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate handling much of the load. But what about the RB room? It’s actually one of the more balanced parts of the roster, but a certain someone is rewriting history.

Bo Jackson, a Cleveland native who wasn’t projected to start, has performed far beyond any expectations. In his first two appearances, he went for 108 yards in 9 carries against Grambling State and 109 yards on 9 carries against Ohio, which included a phenomenal 64-yard run showcasing his acceleration and route running. Those outings have made him the team’s leading rusher with 297 yards and an average of 8.5 yards per carry. He leads among a veteran room with CJ Donaldson and James Peoples, while being a true freshman.

Now for the history-written part. Keyyanne Stitts’ post on X, “Go Bo! Per Ohio State’s game notes: True freshman Bo Jackson is indeed the first Buckeye to rush for 100 yards in his first two games (108 yards vs. Grambling; 109 vs. Ohio U).” It’s quite astounding when we consider that this guy was not even expected to be the starter. He has more yardage than CJ Donaldson with fewer carries, and he is still a true freshman. The ceiling he possesses is astronomically high.

Moreover, the name naturally evokes the memories of the OG Bo Jackson, Auburn’s 1985 Heisman winner and the rarest of the rare athletes whose track-and-field explosiveness turned normal plays into folklore. While the freshman Bo Jackson is not related to the OG in any way, broadcasters cannot help but point out similarities apart from the name. The OG Bo Jackson was an excellent rusher, and the freshman is also on the same lines. However, this would be way too early to compare him to such a legend, but he is proving in every game that he could be deserving of that thought of comparison.

And in the end, all signs point to the ultimate truth. Ohio State has found its next featured runner. The internal roles will still adjust around different backs, but Bo Jackson is the one who will make the most out of his limited carries with explosive runs. The staff’s heavier leaning on Bo’s legs signals growing trust, which is usually a precursor to the RB1 title, but the sample size is still too small.

The reason for Bo Jackson’s impressive showings? Ryan Day’s directive.

Ryan Day’s directive that helped Bo Jackson and other RBs 

Ryan Day does not make players better; he forges absolute weapons when it comes to coaching. And one of his directives for the running backs is that they have to be able to play receivers just as well. It’s part of their job description and is non-negotiable. Day said, “Yeah, that was for all of our runbacks to play receiver. That’s sort of a prerequisite now because of what we’re just talking about. Like you have to be able to play multiple things. If you’re just a running back and you can’t want to run out of the back field or line up the receiver if we need to, or you can’t protect, you’re not bringing a lot to the table.”

And these directives are being applied throughout the program. Ryan Day also gave examples of how the current RB room is receiver-ready already. He said, “And all these guys can do that. Bo, when he was young, I thought he was going to be a receiver because of how well he ran around outside. He used to come to camp, and then he grew up a bit stronger, realized he’ll be running back, but he could do multiple things. CJ started out as a receiver, and James can catch the bottom of the backfield.” 

So, as the payoff scales, the roles also expand. The more a back can alight at X/Z slot, the more a defense will have to try and cover the offense. This will open a lot of counters, RPO’s and late-in-the-down opportunities. Ultimately, this makes an already formidable offense even more formidable