Ohio State’s offense keeps taking hits, and now the Buckeyes are waiting on one of their most productive backs to work his way back.
Ja’Kobi Jackson had surgery for a Lisfranc injury in his foot and is hoping to return before the season is over. The news was first reported by Dan Hope at Eleven Warriors and confirmed by Bucknuts.
Jackson was hurt against Maryland and sat out last week’s 19-15 win over Indiana. He’s expected to miss several more games, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Tuesday he did not know when Jackson might be back.
Ohio State would like to have him available for the regular-season finale and the postseason.
Jackson’s road to this point has already been unusual. He transferred from Florida in January after being granted a rare seventh year of eligibility.
Before arriving in Columbus, he played only four games for the Gators in 2025, rushing 27 times for 98 yards before a season-ending shoulder injury ended that stint. Then in August, he became the first Buckeye to shed his black stripe during fall camp.
Once the games started, he wasted little time making an impact. Through Ohio State’s first six games, Jackson had 59 carries for 354 yards and six touchdowns, and he was averaging six yards per attempt. He was the team’s second-leading rusher before the injury, started the last two games he played, and head coach Ryan Day has already praised both his effort and the way he runs with power.
With Jackson sidelined, Bo Jackson stepped back into the lead role against Indiana. Last season, as a true freshman, he rushed for 1,090 yards and now looks set to take most of the snaps. Isaiah West and Legend Bey are also in the mix.
The concern gets even bigger because quarterback Julian Sayin is hurt too. He left Saturday’s game in the fourth quarter and was later seen on the sideline with his arm in a sling.
Day said Tuesday that Sayin is out indefinitely. True freshman Luke Fahey is currently ahead of Tavien St.
Clair in the race to replace him, and the two will keep battling during the bye week. Before getting hurt, Sayin had thrown for 2,007 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.
That puts even more pressure on the run game. After the bye, Ohio State heads to USC on Oct. 31, then takes on Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. There are no soft spots left, and a steady ground attack could matter even more with a young quarterback in the mix.
The Michigan game and the postseason may end up being especially important for a Buckeyes offense that is thinner than expected.
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