Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.
Whether you go by his first name Lamar or his nickname Bo the newest Jackson in Columbus either shares a name with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL or a Heisman-winning running back. Either way, he's bound to be a good running back with his name alone.
The top in-state running back in the cycle, Jackson – the No. 10 running back and No. 160 overall player in the 2025 class – leads a trio of running back commits for Ohio State in the cycle.
Bo Jackson
- Size: 6-0/210
- Position: RB
- School: Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio)
- 247 Composite: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #10 RB
- Overall Rank: #160
How He Became a Buckeye
When Jackson received his long-awaited offer from Ohio State, which was his "dream school" since he was a kid, back on June 14, 2022, after impressing at multiple camps in Columbus, it was just the second Division I offer the Cleveland, Ohio product had received.
A frequent visitor to Ohio State once he received that offer, Jackson became even closer to the Buckeyes once Carlos Locklyn took over for Tony Alford last spring, as the former Oregon running backs coach recruited Jackson during Locklyn's time in Eugene before joining Ryan Day's staff.
While Ohio State continued to carry the momentum in Jackson's recruitment, Georgia was supposedly gaining some steam in the recruitment as well after Jackson visited the Bulldogs. But OSU took that momentum back when the running back didn't commit to the Georgia before leaving Athens. He decided to commit to the school he always loved and dreamed of playing for following his official visit to Ohio State in June 2024.
Locklyn made it known what he liked most about Jackson's game before the freshman even enrolled at Ohio State.
“He said he liked my routes out of the backfield, hands,” Jackson told Eleven Warriors last June of what Locklyn loves about his game. “And he liked that I'm an in-between-the-tackles runner.”
High School Years
While it took Jackson some time to make a name for himself in Northeast Ohio, the running back – who played defense as well at Villa Angela–St. Joseph – quickly became one of the best running backs in the country as a junior.
A look at some game tape of what Ohio State is adding in ESPN 300 No. 136 Bo Jackson @BoJackson2025
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) June 5, 2024
Tough, fast, high-level vision and body control. Another strong addition to the Buckeyes elite class
(Game film via @Hudl) pic.twitter.com/ddJMrQAYUS
He rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and scored 28 touchdowns in his third high school season, showcasing every part of his game.
Although his senior season was cut short due to a left knee injury he suffered midway through the season, Jackson still ran for 588 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games.
WATCH: Ohio State commit Bo Jackson (@BoJackson2025) reached a max speed of 20.8 mph on this 55-yard TD.
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 12, 2024
Showcase your max speed for a chance to earn a $1,000 NIL deal, FREE Phenom gear, and exposure to college coaches. #FastestPlayerChallenge
https://t.co/IKk5DVUoz3 pic.twitter.com/jaW6MUy5Co
During his time at VASJ, the 6-foot, 210-pounder proved his greatness in every facet in the backfield often.
"He's a three-down back. He can run the edge, he can run between the tackles and he's fast as hell," VASJ head coach Jeff Rotsky told Eleven Warriors. "But what really sets him apart is he has the best ball skills out of the backfield that I have ever seen, in high school or college. His ball skills out of the backfield are ridiculous. And he's a good route-runner. If you put the ball around him, the ball is going to be caught. He's really, really talented on that front."
Immediate Impact
Better Know A Buckeye
A do-it-all running back, one that follows in the footsteps of a versatile running back such as TreVeyon Henderson with plenty of speed to go along with that do-it-all ability, you say? Even though Jackson has all of those intangibles already, he's doing everything he can early on as a Buckeye to make the most of that skill set.
“Right now, I'm just trying to work as hard as I can and do whatever I can for everybody,” Jackson said in March. “I’ve learned a lot. All the little things matter, all the technical stuff. I’m just trying to take it all in slowly.”
His potential has been seen by the fans, too, over the last couple of weeks. First, it was the Student Appreciation Day, where Jackson quickly emerged as a running back who can demand playing time in his first season in Columbus. Then, it was his performance during Ohio State's spring game last Saturday, when he ran for 88 yards and a touchdown.
“He's a hard worker,” James Peoples said of Jackson's performance in the spring. “He came in here and just kept his head down, just been working. He has good speed, of course, good feet. He’s a good back and a good dude as well. So, well-rounded guy.”
All of that is to say that even though Jackson is only a freshman, he's making the most of his opportunities as an early enrollee. Although Peoples and CJ Donaldson will likely lead the one-two punch at running back in the fall, Jackson is making a real push to earn playing time in year one.
That said, Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn has reminded Jackson to stay patient as a freshman.
"I tell all the young guys, it's a marathon, not a sprint," Locklyn said in March when discussing the freshmen running backs who are already on campus, including Jackson. "First things first, you better earn a spot on a special team. You earn a spot on special teams, then you earn the right to be a Buckeye (running back). So they get out there on the field. So I think they're treating it in the right direction."
Long-Term Impact
With Donaldson entering his final year of eligibility, Jackson is likely to ascend from being Ohio State’s RB3 as a freshman to be part of a one-two punch with Peoples at running back in 2026.
With the early trajectory he’s on as a freshman, Jackson looks like a future starter for the Buckeyes by his junior year in 2027, though he’ll face competition from fellow 2025 classmates Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and Isaiah West as well as whoever Ohio State brings in at running back over the next two years.
Eventually, Jackson's ability to be a three-down back should make him a lethal weapon out of the backfield for Ohio State no matter how many five-star wide receivers are on the outside.
Player Comparison: TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson’s speed to run past opponents, athleticism and vision to find and run through holes in the defense, pass-catching ability to be a three-down back and strength and awareness to knock opposing blitzers to the ground made him a star at Ohio State for the past four years, especially last year as he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.
During his four-year career at Ohio State, Henderson compiled 590 carries for 3,761 yards and 42 touchdowns on the ground, along with 77 catches for 853 yards and six touchdowns through the air. He is now expected to be either a first- or second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
It's early, but Jackson seems to have the same qualities that made Henderson a star for the Buckeyes, which could give him the opportunity to play early and often as Henderson did starting in his freshman year at Ohio State.
