West and Jackson, Zay and Bo, Smooth and Slash: The future and present of Ohio State's rushing attack

"That’s like my brother. We’re together all the time."

Isaiah West (left) and Bo Jackson (right) have combined for 335 rushing yards on 59 carries the last three games. (Photos by Doug Lesmerises)

COLUMBUS — It hasn’t really worked in 18 years. That’s the last time Ohio State recruited multiple running backs in the same class and used them in tandem, a true homegrown pairing that the Buckeyes relied upon over several years.

Between that 2007 class and this 2025 multiple-back recruiting class, Ohio State has added two high school backs eight times, but never did their careers blossom together. The most hopeful promise in that era came in 2021, with the arrival of TreVeyon Henderon and Evan Pryor, who wanted to be part of a two-back class to share the load and the success.

They were competitive and collaborative and both had a shot an early playing time in 2021. Henderson earned it, leading the Buckeyes with 1,248 rushing yards as a freshman. Pryor played four games and redshirted, then lost the 2022 season to injury. He transferred to Cincinnati, where he’s now part of a two-back rotation with Tawee Walker. Henderson shared the carries with Quinshon Judkins all the way to a national title last season, with each topping 1,000 yards.

Both found success sharing the ball — just not with each other.

So what Bo Jackson and Isaiah West have a chance to do with the Ohio State run game right now and for the next two or three seasons hasn’t actually happened since the 2007 recruiting class brought Dan Herron and Brandon Saine to Columbus together.

That was Boom and Zoom.

Herron was Boom to everyone, including Jim Tressel. Saine’s Zoom nickname was a little more forced, but you’ll find plenty of old headlines featuring the two monikers.

Herron redshirted in 2007, while Saine played. Herron saw more work in both 2008 and 2010, and in 2011 after Saine was gone. But 2009 was the balance, the season after workhorse back Beanie Wells left. Saine ran 145 times for 739 yards, while Herron carried 153 times for 600 yards. They combined for 23 carries and 103 yards per game, Herron more physical, Saine more explosive.

In researching back balance, in the 15 seasons from 2010 to 2024, the Buckeyes had two backs with at least 500 rushing yards in 10 of those years. As much as Ezekiel Elliott’s consecutive 1,800-yard seasons in 2014 and 2015 stand out — when no other OSU back gained more than 400 years either year — there’s usually a second running back option with a meaningful role.

Henderson and Judkins, a homegrown senior and a one-year transfer, were the ideal pair last year.

The ideal pair for the future might be Jackson and West. And the future might start now.

“It’s a big thing to step into,” West said Wednesday. “We had some great guys just leave the building. I hope that in time, as we continue to grow and just get better, that it shifts from ‘we’ve got the next coming of those guys,’ to now it’s just Bo and Zay.”