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When Ohio State named Arthur Smith as Brian Hartline’s replacement at offensive coordinator, expectations began to soar for the running game. Smith has historically favored run-heavy offenses, a philosophy he’ll likely bring to Columbus this season as well.
If the rumors are true, an already-bright future just got even brighter for Buckeye running backs like Isaiah West.
Entering his sophomore season, West is hot on the heels of a promising freshman campaign in which he logged 310 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 59 carries, along with two receptions totaling 12 yards. The efforts resulted in an average of 5.3 yards per carry and saw him finish fourth on the team in rushing yards.
Out of high school, the Philadelphia native was a three-star prospect and the No. 60-ranked running back in the country, according to 247Sports composite rankings, though West has always had the potential to outperform his recruiting profile and make an impact when it counts.
This season, he should have an opportunity to prove it, as his role should grow considerably. Though West did not participate in spring drills while he recovered from shoulder surgery, he spent time in winter workouts getting bigger and stronger, bulking up by adding about 10 pounds of lean mass.
As fall camp kicked off earlier this month, West looked fully healed—and he generated a lot of attention in the process.
While most people expected Bo Jackson, the team’s top running back in 2025, to be a shoe-in for RB1, it was West taking reps with the first-team offense in the first few days of preseason camp after what Ryan Day called “a tremendous offseason.”
The depth chart is almost entirely still speculatory, but with Jackson recovering from a shoulder injury of his own, West’s first-team reps indicate a strong likelihood that, at the very least, the two will be splitting reps this season.
The Buckeyes have had success with this in the past, and as the season gets longer in the expanded College Football Playoff era, keeping the offense fresh has become a necessity. Depth at running back helps.
West’s rise among the ranks has become even more necessary this fall, as freshman sensation Legend Bey was suspended from the first few practices of fall camp due to a violation of team rules. Though Bey is now taking reps and the issue was allegedly minor, the disciplinary action leaves questions about whether Bey will be able to sort through these preseason issues to live up to his potential.
Though he was almost certainly going to be below Jackson and West on the depth chart this season, it could impact the number of reps that fall on the two of them, along with Ja’Kobi Jackson, the transfer out of Florida.
Regardless of how things shake out between West, Bey, and the two Jacksons, however, West is now expected to be a key part of improving the running game this season.
Despite a solid effort from West as a true freshman and impressive numbers from Jackson in his own true freshman season, the running game overpromised and underdelivered in 2025, finishing the season ranked just 52nd in the FBS.
The unit, which averaged just 4.55 yards per carry on the season, was a major hindrance for an offense that otherwise had national title potential.
Day has already issued a challenge to the running backs ahead of the 2026 season, specifying that there is no room for a sophomore slump from either West or Jackson and insisting a “high level of play” was critical from the group if the Buckeyes wanted to reach their season goals.
For West, this will mean playing up his explosiveness and physical power.
If West can capitalize on these—and, in particular, use his power to pick up additional yardage even after contact—there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to rush for 800 or even 1000 yards, depending on how many carries he gets or how the workload is split between him and Jackson. If West ultimately reconfigures the depth chart and earns the starting gig, expect him to surpass that.
Further adding to West’s potential to put up big numbers is Smith’s offensive scheme, which is expected to favor a wide/outside rush attack, leaning on tight ends as blockers and building the rest of the offense around the run game.
While this typically means fewer pass attempts, it transitions the passing game to more of a play-action attack. The sheer volume of rushing plays Smith will likely run bodes well for West’s numbers, especially as he continues to shine at camp.
After his rapid ascent, it is now looking more and more like West will be the lifeline that enables Smith’s offense, and no matter where he ends up in the 2026 depth chart, his growth this offseason demands that we pay attention.