Ohio State's first week of fall camp fundamentally shifted the narrative on the Buckeyes' running back room. Isaiah West is now the offense's functioning RB1, while Bo Jackson is taking snaps with the second team.
It seems as though not everyone in the national media has caught up to this massive narrative shift in Columbus just yet. Take, for example, USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer, who believes Jackson, Julian Sayin, and Jeremiah Smith are all Heisman candidates this season:
"Ohio State's offense features not one, not two, but three Heisman-capable performers among the trio of Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Bo Jackson."
Sayin, absolutely. Smith, for sure, though it'd take Arthur Smith's offense deliberately featuring JJ just like the first-year OSU play-caller featured Derrick Henry in the Tennessee Titans offense more than half a decade ago. That's a stretch, but not an impossible one.
Jackson becoming a Heisman candidate at this rate does seem practically impossible. Not only would he need to be exceptional enough to break an 11-year drought for the position since Henry won it, but he'd need to prove that these second-team reps are merely maintenance until he's fully healed from offseason shoulder surgery. Not a sign of slippage in Jackson's skill set or abilities.
Bo Jackson is down, not out
Let's be clear: Jackson not being in a position to win the Heisman doesn't mean he isn't going to be a major contributor for the Buckeyes this season. The Heisman requires a season-long statistical outburst for an RB. That may not happen for Jackson at first as he cedes touches to West.
What could happen is Jackson slowly but surely proving himself as the most talented back in the room over the course of the next four months. No one on the roster is battle-tested in big-game situations at RB like Jackson is.
Even if Jackson's overall yardage declines from 2025 to 2026, Jackson could still have a successful sophomore season if he contributes to winning in a more meaningful way. CJ Donaldson and James Peoples made up for 13 TDs last year, and you figure those TDs have to be scored by someone. Hell, the new offense may provide far more opportunities to score than that.
Bo Jackson is in a deeper RB room. That shouldn't be a problem.
Smith's offense figures to take advantage of how deep Ohio State's RB room is this year. Naturally, Jackson might not be looking at another 179 carries. Florida transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson's emergence on the first team this fall, not to mention the massive potential of Legend Bey, figures to threaten Bo's offense on the surface.
If Jackson can continue averaging over six yards per carry, he won't have to worry about the number of touches. On the flip side, the offensive staff can rest easy knowing Jackson will maximize any play-call he gets his way.
Jackson's second-team reps don't need to be a cause for concern with less than a month until kickoff. He just shouldn't be trusted in any significant role right away.
Ipso facto, "Heisman" and "Bo Jackson" shouldn't be in the same statement this fall unless it's looking back at the Auburn star of the same name's Heisman Trophy win during the 1985 season.
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