Legend Bey arrived at Ohio State with plenty of buzz, but the freshman running back’s early momentum has stalled fast.
He flashed in spring practice before getting hurt ahead of the Spring Game, and that still stands as the brightest stretch of his Buckeyes tenure so far. Since then, the path has gotten rough.
Bey was suspended at the start of fall practice, found the end zone in the opener against Ball State, and then barely saw the field after that. Following the Illinois game, the message seems clear: he’s in Ryan Day’s doghouse.
That picture got even sharper against Illinois, when Bey didn’t play at all. He was limited by an ankle injury in his lone carry against Kent State, but he was not listed on the availability report with any injury designation. That points away from health and toward something else keeping him sidelined.
Day wasn’t asked about Bey after the win, but the usage tells the story. Devin McCuin handled kick returns instead of Bey, and Ohio State also gave carries to Bo Jackson, Ja’Kobi Jackson, and Isaiah West. For a player who entered the season as one of the team’s more electric offensive options, that’s a clear sign the staff is leaning hard on trust.
Whatever the issue is, it appears to go beyond talent. Bey still brings explosive ability, but he has been pushed aside on offense and special teams alike, and Ohio State seems to have already moved on from him in the short term.
That creates a bigger problem if this stretch drags on. Bey could be a transfer portal risk at the end of the season if he stays buried. He came in to be a playmaker at running back after starring as a quarterback in high school, and Ohio State is already technically his second program after he signed with Tennessee.
There is still a path back. Day has shown before that players can work their way out of the doghouse.
Carson Hinzman did it after landing there late in his freshman season. After starting at center in 2023, he didn’t start anywhere in 2024 until injuries forced the issue because of podcast comments.
Now he’s the Buckeyes’ starting center and one of the team’s leaders after earning Day’s trust again.
Bey has that same chance if he can respond the right way. In a roster climate shaped by NIL and quick exits, that kind of patience and discipline is harder to find. However this plays out, his response to this benching will say plenty about how long his Ohio State run lasts.
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