TWO MORE BOOMS
Former Alabama/Utah/Michigan CB Cam Calhoun and former Florida RB Ja'Kobi Jackson commit to Ohio State.
Ohio State is adding a seventh-year senior to its running back room.
The Jackson File
- Year: Seventh-Year Senior
- Size: 5-11/214
- Pos: RB
- Previous School: Florida (2023-25)
- 2025 Stats: 27 carries, 98 yards; 4 catches, 27 yards
Former Florida running back Ja’Kobi Jackson committed to Ohio State on Thursday, adding veteran depth to pair with rising sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West in Ohio State’s running back rotation.
Jackson started his college football career in 2020 at Coahoma Community College, where he ran for 1,390 yards and 14 touchdowns over three seasons. After redshirting his first year at Florida in 2023, Jackson ran for 509 yards and seven touchdowns as the Gators’ No. 2 running back in 2024. He ran for 98 yards on 27 carries in 2025 before suffering an upper-body injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
JACKSON TO THE x 23 yd rush
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) April 12, 2025
Blue 14 | Orange 3 pic.twitter.com/5qhiWqurDx
Jackson becomes the second seventh-year senior to join Ohio State’s 2026 roster along with Northwestern transfer tight end Hunter Welcing. The Buckeyes didn’t have any members of the 2020 recruiting class on their 2025 roster, but they will have two in 2026.
Jackson becomes Ohio State’s 14th transfer commitment of 2026.
| CLASS | POS | NAME | STAR RATING | FORMER SCHOOLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR (RS) | TE | MASON WILLIAMS | ★★★ | OHIO |
| SR (RS) | LS | DALTON RIGGS | N/A | UCF, BYU |
| JR (RS) | DT | JOHN WALKER | ★★★★ | UCF |
| SR | WR | DEVIN MCCUIN | ★★★ | UTSA |
| SR | LB | CHRISTIAN ALLIEGRO | ★★★ | WISCONSIN |
| SR (RS) | S | EARL LITTLE JR. | ★★★★ | FLORIDA STATE |
| SR (RS) | S | TERRY MOORE | ★★★ | DUKE |
| SR (RS) | TE | HUNTER WELCING | ★★★ | NORTHWESTERN |
| SR (RS) | QB | JUSTYN MARTIN | ★★★★ | MARYLAND, UCLA |
| SR | DT | JAMES SMITH | ★★★★★ | ALABAMA |
| JR (RS) | DE | QUA RUSSAW | ★★★★ | ALABAMA |
| SO (RS) | K | CONNOR HAWKINS | ★★★ | BAYLOR |
| JR (RS) | CB | CAM CALHOUN | ★★★★ | ALABAMA, UTAH, MICHIGAN |
| SR (RS) | RB | JA'KOBI JACKSON | ★★★ | FLORIDA, COAHOMA CC |
A 5-foot-11, 214-pound running back, Jackson gives Ohio State some much-needed veteran depth at RB with CJ Donaldson exhausting his eligibility and James Peoples and Sam Dixon entering the transfer portal. While Bo Jackson returns as Ohio State’s lead running back and West is a strong candidate to be the No. 2 running back in 2026, they’ll be the only returning running backs who saw playing time in 2025.
Ohio State’s 2026 running back room will also include redshirt freshman Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and true freshmen Favour Akih and Legend Bey.
