How Ohio State’s 2026 Running Back Room Will Compare to Last Season

Here is a comparison of Ohio State's running back room from this season to last season.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) runs during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 31, 2025. Ohio State lost 24-14. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State had a few roster changes this offseason, but the running back room remained largely the same.

The Buckeyes did lose CJ Donaldson Jr. to the NFL and James Peoples to Penn State, but they brought back their No. 1 running back from last season in Bo Jackson.

How the 2025 running back room played out

The Buckeyes brought in Donaldson from the transfer portal to join Peoples as a running back duo. After TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins left for the NFL, Peoples was expected to take over as the No. 1 running back, but it never happened. He played a solid role in Ohio State's Week 1 win against Texas with 10 rushing attempts for 20 yards. Those 10 rushing attempts were the most Peoples had in a single game last season.

Peoples saw his playing time shrink to that of a true freshman running back, Bo Jackson. Jackson didn't play against Texas but did see action in 13 games last season. He recorded 179 attempts for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns.

Jackson took over the backfield. Donaldson played a solid role as a short-down back, coming in when the Buckeyes needed a few yards. But Jackson wasn't the only true freshman running back to make an impact.

Isaiah West appeared in 10 games, recording 59 attempts for 310 yards and two scores. Both West and Jackson are back this season and could form a great running back duo.

Can West and Jackson be this year's version of Henderson and Judkins?

Henderson and Judkins excelled in the 2024 season, playing key roles in Ohio State's championship win, and both were selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Jackson and West aim to be the next great running back duo for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are known for their great quarterback and receiver play, but they typically win national championships thanks to their standout running backs.

Ezekiel Elliott was key in Ohio State's first College Football Playoff championship in 2014, rushing for 386 yards and four touchdowns over two games. In the 2024 title game against Notre Dame, Judkins also excelled, recording 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 21 receiving yards and a touchdown.

If Jackson or West can get close to the performance that Elliott and Judkins had during the Buckeyes' last two titles, there is a chance Ohio State could win it all again next winter.