5-star Baylor (TN) running back David Gabriel Georges committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Wednesday. That doesn't mean Ohio State Buckeyes running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has to choose despair, though.
Despite losing out on a 2027 target, meaning OSU is still without an RB commit in the 2027 cycle, Locklyn has a clear path forward. Yes, flipping a committed RB from now until signing day is an option, but there are other ways to make this right.
One is very obvious.
Ohio State can develop long-term options in 2026
With Arthur Smith bringing a run-focused game plan to the Buckeyes' offense in 2026, there's a chance that RB1 Bo Jackson either makes good on his potential to be the best back in the Big Ten or he's unsatisfied with the number of touches he gets. The true sophomore could find a school that doesn't have a Jeremiah Smith or a Chris Henry Jr. to grab the spotlight for his possible final campaign before the NFL in 2027.
Maybe it works out with Jackson where he wants to come back for 2027. If not, though, there are two other potential long-term options that Smith and Locklyn could nurture into a major role down the road.
The first is Isaiah West, who, like Jackson, needed offseason shoulder surgery. West amassed 59 carries, 310 rushing yards, and two touchdowns on 5.3 yards per carry in 2025. He was RB2, and he will be again, but he led Ohio State in missed tackles forced rate. West was a 3-star prospect, but his ceiling is higher than that after seeing him in real-time action.
The other also was injured, suffering a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the spring game: 5-star freshman Legend Bey. In Bey's case, he could be the future of the RB position, but he could also be a dangerous receiver out of the backfield and an elite return man.
Figure out the future of the position, with all three returning next season, though at least two being back would be a win, and DGG will be an afterthought in Columbus.
Ideally, the pair could bridge the gap to 2028, where there's already 4-star IMG Academy commit, Elijah Newman-Hall, in the class.
Ohio State could go big in the 2028 class
Why stop at Hall when Locklyn and Co. could go after 4-star Newton (GA) RB Kevin Hartsfield to really beef up the 2028 class? It's unlikely Locklyn goes with no 2027 RB commits, but maybe the team could explore the portal at the position to land its planned difference-maker next January. Then the coaching staff could swing big with the 2028 class.
Whether or not the Buckeyes will keep visiting the portal will heavily depend on how two transfer receivers, former LSU Tiger Kyle Parker and former UTSA Roadrunner Devin McCuin, fit into the system. So far, their contributions have been muted. It's only the spring, though.
There are ways forward after the Canadian 5-star chose to stay in his adopted home state of Tennessee. Pretty good ones. As long as Locklyn and Co. don't rest on their laurels, OSU could be in a good spot at RB for years to come without DGG.
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