Ohio State commit Bo Jackson has big night for Villa Angela-St. Joseph in season opener

Bo Jackson ran for 172 yards and three scores as Villa Angela-St. Joseph cruised to a win over GlenOak in season opener

Villa Angela-St. Joseph running back Lamar "Bo" Jackson runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against GlenOak on Friday, August 23, 2024. The Ohio State commit finished with 172 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 42-7 win. / Jeff Harwell, SBLive Sports

CANTON, Ohio - Lamar "Bo" Jackson has one final season of high school football to play for Villa Angela-St. Joseph before heading to Columbus to play for Ohio State. And the 4-star running back made sure to start his final season off with a bang in a 42-7 road win over GlenOak on Friday night.

Jackson was efficient in his work in the 2024 opener, carrying the ball 13 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught a screen pass and took it for 21 yards.

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"It feels great to be able to come out senior year, first game and be able to make plays and get the win," Jackson said.

Jackson made his impact felt almost immediately, as GlenOak kicked short to keep it away from him on the opening kickoff.

Then when VASJ took the field on offense, Jackson got the ball on the first two plays. On the first, he ran fro 12 yards around the right side. And then on the second carry of the game for the senior tailback, he broke off a run of 46 yards for a touchdown.

On the touchdown run, he took the handoff and went wide to the left sideline and cut up the filed, sprinting past defenders. Once he got to about the GlenOak 25, he changed course and cut to the middle of the field. finishing the play off by getting to the end zone nearly untouched to give the Vikings the lead just 22 seconds intot he game.

"I am just coming out and trying to be the aggressor," Jackson said of that first series. "(I want) to make big plays and start the season off hot."

Jackson scored on a 45-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter and then added a 3-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. He ran for 160 yards on 10 carries in the first half and had just three carries after halftime, as the Vikings held a 35-7 lead after two quarters.

Jackson entered his senior season ranked as the No. 1 running back and the No. 5 overall recruit in Ohio's 2025 class by 247Sports.com and the the No. 3 overall running back in the country in 2025. Classified as an athlete on On3.com, he is ranked as the No. 4 athlete in the country and the No. 1 athlete in Ohio.

After rushing for more than 1,700 yards with 28 touchdowns and being named First-Team All-Ohio in Division III last season, the 6-foot, 205-pound running back was stacking up college offers. When all was said and done, he held nearly 25 offers, including Georgia, Alabama, Michigan and Notre Dame. He also had an offer from Auburn, where the original Bo Jackson played and won the Heisman Trophy in 1985.

But when the dust settled, Jackson ultimately chose to attend Ohio State University.

"When I was there (at Ohio State), I could just tell they care and how they develop their players," Jackson said.

Another reason for staying in the Buckeye State for his college career was the proximity to home, with Columbus only being about a two-hour drive.

"It's right near my home, two hours away," Jackson said. "It's not like I have to catch a flight."

Stay tuned to SBLive Ohio all season long for all of your high school football coverage. You can check out our Ohio high school football scoreboards throughout the season.

-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh