Ohio State Buckeyes true freshman running back Favour Akih is taking advantage of the shoulder injuries to Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, and several nagging injuries Legend Bey has suffered so far during spring practice.
Buckeyes running backs coach Carlos Locklyn is reportedly not letting Akih get too comfortable and gassing him up too much without pointing out deficiencies, but Locklyn has been audibly approving of the former Rutherford B. Hayes Pacers star.
Per Cleveland.com's Andrew Gillis, "Freshman running back Favour Akih flashed a few times during team drills, earning loud praise from running backs coach Carlos Locklyn on a handful of occasions. He hit a hole well when following a pulling guard during a run play, and scored twice in red zone drills. There were a handful of mistakes that Locklyn was sure to remind him of as well, but the young tailback looked to handle the increased workload well."
"Akih’s emergence on Saturday was admittedly due to his counterparts on the roster not being available. But he took the job and played well in spurts, which is all the Buckeyes need to see in early April," Gillis added.
Ohio State's future at running back looks blindingly bright
Akih and Bey could be the future at the position. Luckily, Jackson and West could also be, since the latter two are only entering their sophomore campaigns in Columbus. While at least one of them has the chance to transfer for more snaps eventually, having so many high-potential options in the backfield is a great thing.
2025 was a down year for the position until Jackson broke out late, but so far, it looks like a key component of an Arthur Smith offense that's running smoothly by all accounts. If the room can open up opportunities for Jeremiah Smith to strike down field, this program is set up for big things.
If enough backs are a threat, and enough receivers thrive as Smith decoys, there is a limitless ceiling for OSU this coming season.