Eric Boggs
I’ve been waiting to write this for a couple of years now, ever since I heard about this young, talented running back from northeast Ohio. Bo knows Buckeyes!
That’s right. The talented 2025 running back who shares the same name as legendary former Heisman Trophy winning running back from Auburn who became a professional two sport athlete. But this Bo is going to be a Buckeye! After a long recruitment process, Ohio State has achieved a major goal by keeping four-star 2025 running back Bo Jackson in-state. On Tuesday, the Cleveland native committed to the Buckeyes, despite strong competition from Georgia and Alabama.
Jackson’s official visit over the weekend finalized his decision. The 6-foot, 205-pound running back got a taste of what life would be like with the Buckeyes. He attended a gathering hosted by JT Tuimoloau and bonded with his player host, Sam Williams-Dixon. He also spent a lot of time with Carlos Locklyn, who explained how he would develop in Chip Kelly’s offense. Although Jackson had an official visit to Alabama planned, he felt confident ending his recruitment early and committing to Ohio State.
“Overall, it was a great weekend for me and my family. Spending time with Coach Ryan Day, Chip Kelly, and Carlos Locklyn was great, but the real highlight was hanging out with current players around campus. They say with a new offensive coordinator, they’re going to get the ball to the running back a lot. Throwing the ball, running the ball, everything. My parents and I had a good talk with Chip Kelly during my spring visit to OSU. The way he’s set up the offense, it feels like it’s going to open up everything.”
Bo Jackson per Eleven Warriors
Interestingly, Tony Alford’s move to Michigan in the spring may have helped the Buckeyes land Jackson. Alford’s replacement, Locklyn, was the former Oregon running backs coach with whom Jackson had a strong connection. Locklyn’s recruitment of Jackson at Ohio State was smooth because they had already established a good rapport. Since Locklyn joined Ohio State, he and Jackson talked nearly every other day until Jackson’s commitment.
Jackson is the 13th commitment for Ohio State in 2025 and the first running back. However, he likely won’t be the last. Ohio State is still pursuing four-star California prospect Jordon Davison and has shown interest in former Kentucky commit Isaiah West. Another potential candidate is Alabama commit Anthony Rogers, who recently took an unofficial visit to Ohio State and might take an official visit this fall.
According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Jackson is the No. 81 prospect nationally and the No. 5 running back in the 2025 class. It’s exciting to think about how Jackson could be used in Ohio State’s offense when he arrives on campus, especially considering the likely departure of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL after the 2024 season.
Jackson is both a powerful runner and a skilled pass catcher. He will bring an aggressive edge to Ohio State’s rushing attack, which should improve with Kelly’s offensive schemes. He’s talented enough to compete for early playing time in 2025, though players like James Peoples and Williams-Dixon will be a year ahead of him.
Jackson has elite speed and can run between the tackles or in an outside zone. Arm tackles won’t stop Jackson, who scored nearly 30 touchdowns and ran for 1,700 yards in his junior season.
