Coming into spring practice, the Ohio State football program knew they were going to be without its top two running backs. Both Bo Jackson and Isaiah West are out for the entirety of the spring after undergoing offseason surgery for injuries sustained last season.
Without Jackson and West on the field, it gives the Ohio State Buckeyes a lot of opportunities for younger guys to step up in that spot. Now, Legend Bey, the exciting freshman turning heads, has been missing from the last couple of practices. That opens up even more snaps for other backs.
It's never good to have so many injuries at one spot on the roster. However, if there was a time for that to happen, now is the perfect time. It's still six months before the first game. In fact, the Buckeyes might be better off in the long run because of these injuries.
The Ohio State football team will benefit from additional reps for young running backs
Bey shouldn't be out for very long. He has been getting a lot of reps in spring practice. Favour Akih is another freshman who will now see additional reps with Bey sitting out. Florida transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson has also been getting a significant number of snaps. The same goes for Turbo Rogers.
If things go well next season, only Bey is likely to see snaps this season. That's because he is going to play both running back and wide receiver. However, if other guys needed to step up because of injuries happening again in the Fall, these spring reps are going to be valuable.
Ohio State is hoping that Jackson and West will be able to carry the majority of the load. Ja'Kobi Jackson might get some snaps as well, considering this is his final season. That is not guaranteed, though, as Ryan Day has made it very clear over his coaching career that he won't give snaps to players who don't earn them.