Ohio State’s backfield conversation this fall starts, as it should, with Bo Jackson. The sophomore already has a 1,090-yard, six-touchdown freshman season behind him and is widely viewed as one of the country’s most complete running backs.
Yet the player generating the loudest praise inside the program right now is a true freshman who has barely taken a college snap.
Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes’ star wide receiver and a leading candidate for every major individual award, did not mince words when he discussed Legend Bey, via Eleven Warriors.
“I think I said this back in spring. I said to Luke Montgomery, I said, ‘Before Legend Bey leave Ohio State, he’ll be a Heisman finalist or he’ll end up winning it.’ The things he’s been doing in practice has been pretty special,” Smith said.
That is not the kind of forecast teammates usually attach to a first-year running back still learning the position. Bey arrived from North Forney High School in Texas as a five-star athlete who spent his senior year playing quarterback.
In 10 games, he threw for 1,341 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 1,626 yards and 23 scores. At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, he possesses the burst and vision that made him one of the nation’s most dynamic high-school playmakers.
Ohio State immediately moved him to running back, and the early returns in practice have clearly impressed the locker room’s most accomplished player.
The transition has not been entirely smooth. Bey missed time early in camp after a team-rules violation, a reminder that even the most talented freshmen must adjust to the demands of a program that expects both production and discipline.
Head coach Ryan Day has nevertheless sounded encouraged by what he has seen since Bey returned. The coach noted the explosive plays and growing understanding of the position, adding that if Bey continues to improve and protect the football he can become a genuine weapon.
Smith’s Heisman projection is the kind of comment that travels quickly in August, especially when it comes from a player of his stature.
Whether Bey can live up to that standard as a freshman remains to be seen. Jackson will almost certainly handle the bulk of the early-season carries, and Ohio State’s offense already features plenty of proven talent.
Still, the combination of Bey’s high-school production, his athletic profile, and the unsolicited endorsement from Smith has created a level of anticipation few incoming running backs enjoy.
If the practices that impressed Smith continue to translate once the lights come on, Ohio State may spend 2026 talking about two running backs instead of one.
For now, the hype belongs to the freshman Smith believes is destined for the Heisman conversation before his career in Columbus is finished.
