Ohio State freshman makes honest admission that he’s earned heading into a potential breakout stretch
He’s been a pleasant surprise for the Buckeyes lately.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have very few questions when it comes to how they look on the field and what could be better. Ohio State is a 9-0 squad with a chance to pick up win No. 10 on Saturday against the UCLA Bruins.
One area the Buckeyes can stand to improve is on the ground, where they rank 69th nationally with 155 rushing yards per game. Ohio State was always going to be a team that wins through the air with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate on the outside and Julian Sayin slinging them the rock.
Ohio State freshman RB Isaiah West is growing quickly with the Buckeyes
The Buckeyes started the season with CJ Donaldson and James Peoples as their top two projected running backs, but that didn’t last long. By the second game, true freshman Bo Jackson was making a major impact, and he now leads the Buckeyes with 613 rushing yards on the season. Donaldson has remained the short-yardage back and has nine touchdowns, but the two most talented running backs on the roster may both be freshmen.
West has broken onto the scene with at least 55 rushing yards in two of the last three games. Against Wisconsin, he recorded 55 yards on nine carries, and he followed that up with 60 yards the next week on the same amount of attempts. West was one of three freshman running backs the Buckeyes brought in, and he admitted that he didn’t expect to be playing this early in Columbus.
“If you would have told me that at the beginning, I definitely wouldn’t have believed that,” West said on Wednesday.
West was a three-star recruit from Pennsylvania that the Buckeyes specifically targeted and wanted in their class. That decision is already paying off, and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential. West reflected on how much he’s grown since arriving in Columbus.
“It’s been a long journey,” West said. “I’ve had my ups and downs, but they all make me better, and I just continue to improve every day. They’ve shaped me into the player that I am now.”
Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have been more open to playing freshmen over the past couple of seasons, and West is a great example of that shift. Taking care of the ball is the biggest point of emphasis for running backs coach Carlos Locklyn when it comes to young players, and neither West nor Jackson has a single fumble this season.
The game against UCLA will be another opportunity for the Buckeyes to test their depth. Purdue was the same, and the following week against Rutgers should be as well. Don’t be surprised if we see a lot of West on Saturday behind Jackson, he’s earned that chance over the last couple of games.
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