Ohio State tailback Isaiah West sheds black stripe

COLUMBUS — Ohio State tailback Isaiah West was always more valued by the Buckeyes coaching staff than the recruiting rankings would have suggested.

Folks around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center always believed he had star potential, and now he’s beginning to show why. The freshman tailback shed his black stripe after practice Wednesday, a clear sign that a bigger role could be on the way.

West was the No. 809 player in the country for his recruiting class. He was the 63rd-best tailback in his class and the No. 19 player in the state of Pennsylvania.

For West, he’s part of a running back room that has been through some ups and downs through the first six games of the season. The two backs who were expected to be the stars, James Peoples and CJ Donaldson, have been good — not great — as West’s classmate, Bo Jackson, has taken over the lead tailback role in the offense.

But as running backs coach Carlos Locklyn said over the offseason, he wants multiple backs he can rely on, and West seems primed to earn some opportunities in his first season. West received three carries in the 34-16 win over Illinois on Saturday.

“I believe in the philosophy that Coach Tressel said: You need two and a spare,” Locklyn said. “So I’m hoping we get two and a spare and another spare. We just reload. This university’s been about having great running backs, and I think was that’s what we’re going to have in the room. And it’s on me to set the tone of the kids, the mindset in the room. So that’s on me. So I think we’re going to be good.”

Isaiah West could be part of the solution moving forward as Ohio State figures its ground game out in the coming weeks. He took a big step forward in that regard on Wednesday, shedding his black stripe.

Isaiah West becomes latest Ohio State freshman to shed black stripe

Ohio State has now removed the black stripe from the helmet of 15 members of its 2025 recruiting class.

On offense, it’s quarterback Tavien St. Clair, wide receivers Quincy Porter, Phillip Bell and De’Zie Jones, running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, tight end Nate Roberts and offensive lineman Jake Cook.

On the defensive side of the football, it’s defensive tackle Jarquez Carter, defensive ends Zion Grady and Epi Sitanilei, linebackers Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford, cornerback Devin Sanchez and safety Faheem Delane.