Ohio State Legend Raves Over Steady Progress From Bo Jackson in Fall Camp

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson has already turned heads throughout fall camp With 17 days until kickoff, Jackson's stock is beginning to rise entering his sophomore season.

Appearing on the Doak Walker Award watch list Tuesday following a 1,000-yard season last year, ex-linebacker Bobby Carpenter has noticed improvement. During a recent episode of BIGPLAY Sports Network's The Bobby Carpenter Show, Carpenter weighed in on what he has seen from Jackson thus far when observing Ohio State in scrimmages.

“Watching Bo put on a move at the second level and then burst and go get like 60 yards," Carpenter said of what he saw from Jackson.

.@Bcarp3 Saw a major difference from Bo Jackson in Ohio State's scrimmage

“Watching Bo put on a move at the second level and then burst and go get like 60 yards”

Subscribe to the YT: https://t.co/Ri2iHXeGXY pic.twitter.com/gJ1pBk3K2A
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) August 18, 2026

Bo Jackson's Ohio State Progression Entering This Season

Alongside the observation, Carpenter noted that Ryan Day has identified various strengths from Year 1 to Year 2 for Jackson.

"His reads and the way he's hitting the hole have really shown up," Day told reporters about Jackson. "But I think he's doing a much better job at the second level. You're running over him. You're running around him, making him miss. You're seeing that. It's showing up on film. It did not show up on film last year."

Ryan Day on what has stood out from Bo Jackson during camp:

“He’s doing a much better job at the second level ... that was a major point of emphasis coming into camp."

"If it's blocked for 5 you got to get 8" -@Bcarp3 pic.twitter.com/eD2iVH88Xy
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) August 18, 2026

With under three weeks to go until the opener, Day noted what he'd like to see Jackson clean up as he gets a respective carry.

"If he continues to keep building and practicing and stacking these practices the way he's doing it, it's gonna show up in a game," Day said. And that's going to be a big part of who we are this year. So, a big point of emphasis [in the second level] so far, he has been responding to."

Carpenter, meanwhile, agreed with Day's holistic remarks about Jackson.

"It was that second level [for Jackson]," Carpenter said. "Make a guy miss. Run a guy over. If it's blocked for five [yards], you gotta get eight. You can't be getting five. Like, we [Ohio State] need to be able to [do that]. You're an Ohio State running back. You should be able to make two to three yards on your own by making a guy miss at the end of the play, or like you [Steele Chambers] said, just running them over."

Jackson may have to adjust to split time with Isaiah West in the backfield, which will allow him to rest and recover should Ohio State's offense be primarily run through a pass-heavy offensive attack led by quarterback Julian Sayin.

For now, though, it seems Jackson is on the right trajectory to build off a successful true freshman season.

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