Ryan Day didn’t sugarcoat where Bo Jackson stands in Ohio State’s backfield race, and that alone tells you plenty about how fall camp is unfolding in Columbus.
Day said Jackson has been practicing well, but he also made it clear the sophomore still has something to prove after a freshman season that flashed real production and left more on the table. Jackson averaged more than six yards per carry in 2025, yet Day pointed to the way he’s attacking his reads, hitting holes and working at the second level as the part that now looks different.
"The first thing is his reads, and the way he’s hitting the hole has really shown up," Day said on Saturday. "I think he's doing a much better job at the second level.
And we've talked about it before, either running over them or you’re running around and making them miss, and you're seeing that. It's showing up on film.
It did not show up on film last year. We all know it.
"It’s just practice, so it doesn't matter until he puts it in the game, but if he continues to keep building and practicing and stacking these practices the way he's doing it, it's going to show up in the game. And that's going to be a big part of who we are this year. We felt like there was a lot of good there last year, but there was also a lot of football that we left on the field, and so (making defenders miss is) a big point of emphasis that so far, he's been responding to."
That message has shown up in how Day has handled the running backs through camp. In the first week, Isaiah West, Ja'Kobi Jackson and Legend Bey got first-team work while Bo Jackson was placed with the second unit. It was a pointed move, and one that looked like more than simple rotation.
Day has since said Bo, Ja'Kobi and West are all standing out, while Bey has shown promise. He stopped short of saying Bey is ready right now, but the broader picture is clear: Jackson is not being handed anything.
The second-team snaps may have been tied partly to caution after offseason shoulder surgery, but they also read like a challenge. Day has made it obvious he wants to know exactly what Jackson is in this room.
At one end of the spectrum, Jackson can become the lead back this season and next before moving on to the NFL. At the other, he can stay productive this fall without taking the next step Day wants, then leave after the season.
Ohio State has enough options behind him that the staff may not view that outcome as a crushing blow. That’s the edge in Day’s approach: Jackson has to earn the role, and the room is deep enough that the staff can press him without blinking.
So now the spotlight is squarely on Jackson. If he keeps stacking practices the way Day wants, he can turn this into a statement season and head into year three in Columbus as a featured back. If not, Ohio State already has other runners making their case.
In Other News...
Ohio State May Have Found A Needed Answer In Matt Patricias Linebacker Room
Christian Alliegro arrives in Columbus with the kind of profile Ohio State needed to bolster a linebacker room that lost Arvell Reese. The senior transfer from Wisconsin brings experience, versatility and a reputation for durability, and his honorable mention All-Big Ten nod in 2025 only adds to the intrigue around how quickly he can carve out a role. Coaches have pointed to his resilience and ability to handle multiple linebacker spots, traits that make him a natural fit for a rotation that could use some stability.
What makes Alliegro especially interesting is that Ohio State does not have to slot him into one narrow job. He is expected to compete for significant playing time in different spots, which gives the Buckeyes some flexibility as they sort out the depth chart and define the next layer of their defense. If he adjusts the way the staff believes he can, Alliegro could end up being more than a stopgap answer in Matt Patricias linebacker room. [Read more 🡒]
Khary Wilder Is Giving Ohio State Fans An Early Reason To Believe
Khary Wilder has already done something in fall camp that tends to get Ohio State fans' attention, shedding his black stripe as a freshman defensive lineman. It is the latest small but meaningful sign that the Buckeyes may have found another young piece for a front that is trying to reload after losing several key players to the NFL Draft, and it comes as the defense prepares for another season with high expectations.
Wilder is the fifth freshman to lose his black stripe this year, and his timing matters because the Buckeyes are expected to lean on depth up front. Under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who likes to rotate players, there should be chances for young linemen to earn work, and Wilder now looks like one of the names to watch as Ohio State sorts out its next wave of contributors. [Read more 🡒]