Although Ryan Day made it clear last week that Bo Jackson has separated himself as Ohio State's No. 1 running back, building depth behind him remains crucial.
Isaiah West is making a strong case for a significant role.
Day said West had one of the best offseasons of anyone in the program, and his development could make him an important piece of the Buckeyes' rushing attack.
After appearing in 10 games during his freshman season, logging 108 snaps at running back and scoring two rushing touchdowns, West dedicated the offseason to his physical development. He leaned on longtime strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti in the weight room, and it paid off.
"I put on 12 pounds of muscle mass," West said. "Last year I was playing at about 208, now I'm 220."
At 5'10", West said the added weight hasn't come at the expense of his speed.
"It's weird... you would think putting on some weight, you would get a little slower," West said. "I feel much stronger, much faster."
In addition to his physical changes, West said he's become more decisive and is hitting holes quicker than he did last season.
Florida transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson is another option in a running back room that Day believes has developed legitimate depth behind Bo Jackson.
West has also been impressed by what Jackson has shown since joining the Buckeyes.
"I'm really excited about this room," West said. "Ja'Kobi's smooth, Ja'Kobi's got good feet, good vision, and I'm excited for him. I think he's gonna be really good for us."
West said Jackson's offseason improvement could exceed expectations. He saw that progress in the weight room, but said it became even more apparent when Jackson put the pads on this spring, pointing specifically to his decisiveness and quickness.
When asked how he and Jackson complement each other, West pointed to what each can bring to the backfield.
"To me Bo's a slasher, Bo's extremely fast, Bo's explosive," West said. "I'm not as fast as Bo Jackson, but you know I got my own explosiveness, I make people miss."
As Ohio State looks for more consistency from its run game, depth in the running back room will be important. West said the internal competition is there, but so is a sense of unity as the Buckeyes prepare for a season they hope extends into January.
"We all wanna compete," West said. "But we're a cohesive unit. We don't just got one good running back or two good running backs, we have the entire room."
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has repeatedly emphasized being "brilliant in the basics," a message that has resonated with West.
"Arthur Smith has a structured plan for the offense," West said. "We don't have a thousand different plays, we have a few that we're really good at."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as Why Ohio State Running Back Isaiah West Could Be Key to the Buckeyes' Run Game .
