Ohio State prioritizing in-state 4-star ATH Bo Jackson

When a school loses a position coach to another program, there is always the chance that recruiting at that position could take a negative hit.

That wasn’t the case for Ohio State and Cleveland (Ohio) Villa Angela – St. Joseph four-star athlete Bo Jackson.

Jackson had a good relationship with former Buckeyes running backs coach Tony Alford before he moved on to Michigan. But — while Alford’s move added the Wolverines back into Jackson’s recruitment — it did nothing to hamper Ohio State’s pursuit of Jackson.

Ohio State went and hired Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, with whom Jackson already had a standing relationship.

“It didn’t change at all,” Jackson said of the impact Alford’s departure had on his relationship with Ohio State. “Coach (Ryan) Day still kept in contact with me until they got a running backs coach. Once they got him, coach Locklyn reached out and then the next week, I was down there talking to coach Locklyn.”

Jackson said that Locklyn wants him in Columbus and that the Buckeyes have made him feel like a “priority.”

“It’s actions,” Jackson said. “Coach Day and coach Locklyn are frequently reaching out to me.”

There is still a long way to go in Jackson’s recruitment, but he knows what he’s looking for in a school.

“I’m looking for a family environment,” he said. “Seeing how the players interact with the coaches and how they interact with each other.”

Jackson is the nation’s No. 68 overall prospect, No. 4 athlete and No. 4 recruit from Ohio. in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Ohio State currently leads in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) with a 33 percent chance of landing Jackson.

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