Ryan Day got an encouraging spring update when seventh-year running back Ja’Kobi Jackson returned to the field after last season’s shoulder injury. Now healthy again, the veteran is trying to carve out a real role in the Ohio State backfield heading into 2026.

“It’s a great, it’s a great feeling, you know, I’m very excited to be here in Columbus,” RB Ja’Kobi Jackson said on the Eleven Warriors. “I’m very excited to be a Buckeye this year. It’s been good, you know, just kind of getting in after I’ve been, this past injury I had this past season. So getting back into this football type of feeling, you know, I’m just excited and just very blessed to be back out here.”

Jackson started his college football career at Coahoma Community College before joining the Florida Gators in 2023. He redshirted his first season and then got a chance to contribute more in 2024, where he recorded 95 carries for 509 yards and seven touchdowns, with an average of about 5.4 yards per carry.

Then Jackson entered 2025, and his spring performance showed his caliber. He ran for 198 yards on just 10 carries and scored three touchdowns, tying a school record set by Ciatrick Fason back in 2004. On top of it he also ran a 90-yard touchdown, which became the longest run in Florida spring game history. His performance also caught former head coach Billy Napier’s attention.

“It’s been tough on him. Obviously, Ja’Kobi is kind of our spark plug to some degree, his energy, his production. I’ve been impressed with the way he’s stayed engaged with the team,” Napier said last spring. “I think that’s impressed me about (him). I’ve been calling him Coach Jackson the last couple of weeks.”

Even though Jackson had a strong spring with the Gators, he suffered a shoulder injury four games into the 2025 season and had to sit out the rest of the year. At first, he hoped he could return, but he had to watch from the sidelines instead. He only played in four games and rushed for 98 yards on 27 carries.

Since his shoulder injury sidelined him after just four appearances last fall, the NCAA officially granted Jackson a medical hardship waiver. Capitalizing on this extra year of eligibility, he transferred to Ohio State to prove he’s healthy and solidify their backfield.

“I enjoy everything about it,” Jackson said. “My teammates, brotherhood, everything that we’re building, and you know, it’s just great to be a Buckeye. It’s been pretty smooth, you know, since I’m already like a veteran guy. So getting a hold of the system, it hasn’t been really tough, you know, just been kind of every day, just staying consistent.”

Jackson expects to bring immediate explosive plays to the Buckeyes’ offense this fall. Moving past his rehab, the veteran aims to stabilize a banged-up running back room, mentor his younger teammates, and reliably lead Ohio State’s ground game during their championship push.

Ryan Day’s concern about the RB room

JaKobi Jackson’s improvement is massive news for Ryan Day, but the concern is still pretty great at their running back position. And on the Buckeye Talk podcast, Stephen Means pointed that straight.

“When do we start worrying about running backs? Because it sounds like Ryan is still very much worried about running back,” Means said.

It makes sense for Ohio State to be worried about running backs. Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, the two main players, had surgeries in the offseason and are not fully practicing yet. Legend Bey, a freshman who could make a big impact, has missed several practices and is still learning to play running back after being a quarterback in high school.

The concern is legitimate. With players like Bo Jackson recovering from injury and West also sidelined, JaKobi Jackson’s arrival provides a crucial safety net. The seventh-year veteran offers the exact steadying presence Ohio State desperately needs right now.