Press Conference (Bo Jackson) Elite Edition August 2

What is your impression of him? What, what does he do well that you're like, "Okay, yeah, this is, this is the program I wanna be a part of"?

Uh, he coaches you hard.

He gets on top of you.

Yeah.

You, you committed right after your visit.

I mean, when you came down here, was there a thought process that you could commit? Did you come down with an open mind or did you kinda have a f- a feeling that this was gonna be the weekend that you were gonna commit?

Uh, I came down with an open mind.

I didn't know if I was gonna commit, really.

Yeah.

Uh, but then I got here.

I felt a, a family atmosphere with the players and coaches.

What was that moment like for you, talking to coaches, telling them that you were gonna commit, telling your family? Just what was that like for you?

Uh, it was great.

Uh, I have my mom, my dad, all my brothers in the room with me.

It was a nice experience.

What was their reaction?

Um, well, my...

Everybody already knew it except Coach Z.

Coach Z was mad [laughs].

[laughs] So what was Coach Lock's reaction?

He was fine with it.

When, when you think of like, uh, just a common or the, yeah, just an Ohio State back, you know, whether it's physicality, like what, what are the first things that come to mind when you think of an Ohio State running back?

Uh, speed and power.

Yeah.

It's on and, uh, try to got it.

Yeah.

Uh, uh, is that something that, I mean, you feel like you have to, you know, work on? Or is that something that you're like, "Yeah, that's the kind of back I am.

I'm just gonna be next in line at Ohio State."

I think that's the kind of back I am, but you can always improve on it.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, what are kind of a few of those things that you're like, "Yeah, I need to work on," like, over the course of the next few months or whatever?

Um, just everything.

Make sure I keep all the details, ball security everything.

Yeah, yeah.

What did Coach Lock tell you that he likes about your game? Is it, you know, your, your running between the tackles, your speed? What, what does he like about you?

Uh, he said he liked how I fought in the backfield and, and he liked that I'm a complete back.

What's kind of your main...

I mean, obviously, as an in-state kid committed to this class, what's your pitch now to other recruits to be like, "This is why you should join Ohio State's 2025 class"?

It's a real family atmosphere.

Yeah.

Like, everybody gets along, everybody talk to each other, everybody know each other.

What would you say you envision, whether it's a college running back or whether it's an NFL running back, who do you admire right now?

Oh, I've always looked up to Bo Jackson, watching his films, highlights.

Do you, uh, [laughs] that's funny.

Yeah.

Do you think that your play style can mirror his res- respect in just the way that he can really impose his will on the football field?

Yeah, I think-

Is that what you wanna grow into?

Yeah, I think I can.

I think, uh, the speed and the power that he had, I think I can mimic.

Mimic Bo Jackson.

Who are, who are the main guys that you're, you're talking to right now to join this class?

Um, I'm really talking to everybody, uh, the rest of them in that, all the commits.

Any, any, any guys that you want to join the class? Anybody at the top of your list?

Uh, not particularly, no.

Sorry if you already got asked this, but coming up here as an, as a recruit, or as a commit, I'm sorry, what, what did you wanna show today? What did you wanna get out of this experience?

Uh, it wasn't nothing to show, nothing to prove.

I just wanted to get some work in with Coach Lock.

How did you feel like that went? Obviously, he's still relatively new here, but he seems to bring a little bit of a different energy than, than some of these camps in the past.

Uh, I feel like it went good.

Yeah.

Do you sense that energy? I mean, when you're out with him, it's-

Yeah, I feel his intense energy.

He's different than other guys, though, right?

Yeah.

I mean, kinda, how would you explain his coaching than some of the other running back coaches you may have worked with in the past?

It's just intense.

Intense.

Yeah.

[laughs]

Like go, go, go.

Yeah.

Did you, did you talk to Coach Lock when he was at Oregon?

I did.

Okay.

Uh, so when, when did he get, uh, did Oregon get involved in there?

Um...

Like roughly.

Around, like, uh, after the season.

Like not too far after the season.

Okay.

So I mean, is it, was he kind of the same guy that he is now? Like-

Yeah

...

so just, just in a new uniform basically?

Yeah.

Okay, gotcha.

And you guys obviously a- added Isaiah to the class, and there's no secret they would like to add another one.

What are your thoughts on being in a class with three different running backs like that?

Uh, I have no problem being in a class with three different running backs.

Um...

What, uh, what do you like about Isaiah?

Uh, I don't really know Isaiah.

You don't know Isaiah?

Yeah, no.

You, you've never met him?

No.

Do you...

Do you-

I've never met the person

...

Oh, okay.

When you committed, who were some of the guys that reached out to you? You know, have you heard from anybody in particular about the path or anything like that?

Um, not really.

A couple linebackers, like Tavion Richburg.

Okay [laughs].

Thanks, man.

You're welcome.