You’re Nuts: Who is the best freshman running back you’ve seen at Ohio State?

Last year, Ohio State fans were spoiled by having TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins at running back. To try and replace the dynamic duo who are now in the NFL, C.J. Donaldson was brought in via the transfer portal from West Virginia, while James Peoples was slated for an expanded role this season.

Donaldson has given Ohio State some tough running, especially in short-yardage situations, rushing for three touchdowns in the first four games. Peoples has seen his carries decrease in each game this season. After toting the rock 10 times against Texas, the sophomore only saw three carries in Saturday’s game at Washington.

The reason Peoples and Donaldson haven’t been on the field as much as expected is because of the emergence of Bo Jackson. After averaging 12 yards per carry in wins against Grambling State and Ohio, Jackson posted a respectable 80 yards on 17 carries in the first road game of his career at Washington.

What has made Jackson look so impressive early in his Buckeye career is that he runs with a lot of physicality, always seeming to fall forward when being tackled. There were a number of carries against the Huskies where it looked like Jackson was going to be stopped for a gain of a yard or two, but ended up gaining seven or eight yards. Along with his physicality, Jackson has home run speed, capable of taking it to the house on every carry.

With how Jackson has played over the last three games, we started thinking about the best freshman running backs who have played for the Buckeyes. Over the years, there has been quite a list of freshman running backs to make an impact for Ohio State. Archie Griffin, Robert Smith, Maurice Clarett, and J.K. Dobbins are just a few of the backs who have made noise in their first season in Columbus.

Today’s question: Who is the best freshman running back you’ve seen at Ohio State?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: Maurice Clarett

Maurice Clarett’s first (and only) season at Ohio State was in 2002. At the time I was a senior in high school in Western New York and my Buckeye fandom was growing since I had applied and eventually was accepted to Ohio State. My first trip to Columbus was the weekend of the Michigan game that year, and it’s probably easy to understand why I really fell in love with the school.

Just imagine playing in your first college football game and you run for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers didn’t come against some cupcake either, at least they came against a Texas Tech team that would finish the season with a 9-4 record. Then a couple weeks later Clarett exploded for 230 yards against Washington State.

When watching Clarett run, it was like watching a bowling ball with a jetpack strapped to it. Unfortunately the physical style of running from Clarett did lead to some injuries throughout the season which cut down on his time on the field. At least Clarett was able to play in the tense victory over Michigan, along with having one of the most iconic plays in school history when he stripped the football from Miami safety Sean Taylor in the BCS National Championship Game.

While it would have been great to see what Clarett would have been able to do if he was able to play at least three seasons at Ohio State, life isn’t perfect sometimes. I had a chance to meet Clarett at a tailgate a number of years ago and he was incredibly nice, and should be commended for the work he has done not only to turn his life around after some tough times, but also in helping others do the same.

There are running backs who have put up bigger numbers than Clarett did during their freshman seasons at Ohio State. It’s hard to argue that any freshman running back had as much of a one-year impact, though.

Matt’s answer: J.K. Dobbins

Now look, I’m going to cry foul a little bit with Brett picking Mo C. for this week’s column, because I have gone on record numerous times (including in articles that I co-wrote with him) about my love for Maurice Clarett, since I was a senior at Ohio State during his magical freshman season.

However, this is my lot in life, so I am forced to go in a different direction. Since I was not alive during Archie Griffin’s freshman season, I am going to counter with the 2017 campaign of one J’Kaylin Dobbins. The current Denver Bronco rushed for a program freshman record 1,403 yards on the season on 194 carries. That’s an astounding 7.2 yards per carry and 100.2 yards per game.

While quarterback J.T. Barrett and sophomore running back Mike Weber ate up a ton of the touchdowns (12 and 10, respectively), J.K. still had seven and added a receiving score as well.

What made Dobbins’ debut campaign so extraordinary wasn’t just the volume; it was the consistency. His first game of college football came against Indiana and saw him rush for 181 yards on 29 carries. That was the first of 11 times that season that saw him rush for more than six yards per carry. He eclipsed 100 yards five more times — against Army, Nebraska, Michigan State, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game (more on this in a minute). His B1G title game performance still ranks sixth in championship game history.

Dobbins was one of those rare freshmen who had both power and speed. His burst through the hole was explosive, and once he hit the second level, he forced defenses to account for him in ways that opened up Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson’s offense as a whole. And he wasn’t just fast, he was decisive — rarely dancing in the backfield, always attacking downhill with purpose. He did what all great running backs must be able to do. He could turn a two-yard loss into an eight-yard gain; he could turn an eight-yard gain into a 20-yard gain; and he could turn a 20-yard gain into a touchdown.

Equally important was his durability. Despite logging over 200 total touches, Dobbins never wore down as the season stretched on. He had at least one run of 20-plus yards in nine different games, showcasing that he was not just a volume back but a true game-breaker. That blend of consistency and explosiveness is what separates him from other freshman backs in Ohio State history.

Case in point, in the B1G title game, the Buckeyes went up against Wisconsin’s top-ranked defense, and J.K. went for 174 yards, a total that stands as the sixth most in conference title game history (can you name the two Buckeyes at the top of that list?). That performance, more than any single stat line, proved that he was capable of taking over games against any level of competition.

In a program defined by running back legends, Dobbins’ 2017 season didn’t just put him in the conversation — it set the standard for what a freshman Buckeye back could achieve… Bo, you’re up next.

Watch J.K. Dobbins’ 2017 freshman-year highlights: