There's no doubt that Isaiah West has been Ohio State's star running back during fall camp practices. Finally, though, after some panic about Bo Jackson taking second-team reps and dread about Legend Bey letting disciplinary issues that date back to the spring get in the way of his freshman-year ascension, everything is seemingly back on track.
That's what The Silver Bulletin's Grant Kincaid reported about the RB room's development in camp on Thursday, anyway.
"With the emergence of Legend Bey this past spring and the aforementioned Isaiah West, an interesting dynamic has started to unfold at the Woody," Kincaid said. "All three backs have now clearly shown the potential of being the elite back Coach Day has been looking for. Seeing how he and his staff will handle this unit will be fun to watch."
West is looking huge, with particularly menacing quads, at fall camp. His explosion is evident. West did work in the offseason, and it's work that's paying immediate dividends this summer. Still, it's not as though Jackson didn't also add size himself. Jackson also proved his dominance last season with 6.1 yards per carry. He has the most tangible proof of concept of anyone. Meanwhile, Bey was a dominant force in the spring before injuries cut his spring short.
The RB room is unfathomably deep. Right now, the depth chart's exact order is probably a little surprising. From the sound of it, though, it's more of a positive for West than a negative for Jackson or Bey at this point.
Ohio State has RB depth beyond the big three
The Buckeyes have talent beyond those three in the RB room that they might have to rely on at certain points this season.
Florida transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson Jr. is two years removed from being a major backfield piece for the Gators, but had his shine dulled by a severe upper-body/AC joint injury against Miami last September. Still, Jackson had seven touchdowns in 2024. He can be a goal-line option if West doesn't eat up and maximize those touches.
Freshman running back Favour Akih was a standout spring performer when West, Jackson, and Bey were all hurting in April. He's another depth piece who could find that muscle memory advantageous during the Ball State and Kent State games. If Akih looks too good not to further explore during those tune-ups, maybe he could help put away Big Ten matchups Ohio State is in control of.
Anthony "Turbo" Rogers enters year two in Columbus as a redshirt freshman and could also parlay those extra spring reps into productive snaps. Rogers is probably under more pressure to make it work in Scarlet and Gray or figure out a landing spot where he can get enough opportunities than any of his peers.
Buckeyes are well-equipped to mitigate injuries
There's strength in numbers. The Buckeyes' RB numbers make OSU a candidate to keep a healthy platoon throughout the entire 2026 season. That is the kind of trait the great Nick Saban Alabama teams featured during the glory days in Tuscaloosa.
Obviously, most of Ohio State's RBs have had recent injuries to deal with, but Carlos Locklyn, Arthur Smith, and Ryan Day are in a good position to mitigate the pain for their six playable backs all year. Mainly because there are six guys who can take snaps in a pinch. Sheesh, that's a lot.
The big three of West, Jackson, and Bey should be enough. If, for some reason, there is a need for reinforcements, this Buckeyes squad has them.
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