Ohio State Buckeyes redshirt freshman running back Anthony Rogers is competing for the RB1 label during spring practice, with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West both out with shoulder injuries. He's also competing for the RB3 spot beyond the spring, looking to be in line for snaps when they count in the regular season.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin's Bobby Gorbett believes Rogers will overcome his injury-related absence to make good on the potential he brought as the No. 4 RB in his recruiting class as a former blue-chip prospect.
"On paper, the Buckeyes have a lot of continuity at the running back position heading into next season with sophomore running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, two of the 2025 team’s more dependable ball-carriers, returning. However, both Jackson and West are sidelined in the spring while recovering from shoulder injuries," Gorbett prefaced before saying, "With Jackson and West out, Florida transfer running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, redshirt freshman running back Anthony Rogers, and freshman Favour Akih should all earn reps.
"Rogers may be the most intriguing option of those three. He was a top-100-ranked prospect who was out last year with an injury, but his speed and abilities as a pass-catcher could enable him to get on the field even when Jackson and West return."
Anthony Rogers was a star in Alabama 7A High School Football at Carver
Rogers was a stud in one of the toughest high school football divisions across the Deep South. The Carver Wolverine ran for 1,139 yards and 18 TDs on an absolutely unfathomable 10 yards per carry, while also amassing 15 catches for 401 yards and six TDs. He even had four kick return touchdowns on 42.1 yards per return in 15 punt/kickoff returns.
Those are the kind of dominant numbers that figure to transfer to FBS football. Alabama's 7A High School Football division regularly produces recruits for SEC schools. Ohio State, of course, transcends regions and can recruit from anywhere in the country.
The Buckeyes have a certifiable weapon in Rogers. If he looks anything close to the beast he was in Montgomery, Alabama, Ohio State could have one of the deepest RB rooms in the country for first-year play-caller Arthur Smith.