Ohio State fans, get ready-there’s a new name to know in the Buckeyes' backfield, and it’s one that head coach Ryan Day can’t stop talking about. True freshman Legend Bey hasn’t played a down yet in Columbus, but if Day’s early impressions are any indication, he won’t be waiting long to make an impact.
During a recent radio appearance, Day dove into the state of Ohio State’s running back room heading into the 2026 season. And while he touched on some key updates-like rising sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West missing spring ball due to shoulder surgeries-it was his comments about Bey that really turned heads.
“Legend Bey is a guy who is dynamite,” Day said. “I kinda call him maybe the poor man’s Tyreek Hill. I mean, he can go.”
That’s not a comparison you throw around lightly. Tyreek Hill is one of the fastest, most electric playmakers in the NFL. If Bey brings even a fraction of that explosiveness to the college game, the Buckeyes might have something special on their hands.
Bey, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound athlete out of North Forney High School in Texas, was ranked as the No. 5 athlete and No. 126 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He played quarterback in high school, but Ohio State plans to deploy him as a running back, with the potential to flex out into the slot or make plays in the return game. In other words, they’re going to find ways to get the ball in his hands.
And that versatility is exactly what has Day so excited. “When you watch him last year play quarterback in Texas, he’s putting up five-touchdown games, six-touchdown games, just running around making guys miss,” Day said. “He’s lightning in a bottle.”
That kind of open-field ability is rare-and it’s even rarer to find it in a freshman who’s already on campus and ready to go through spring ball. That early enrollment gives Bey a real shot to carve out a role in the offense sooner rather than later. Day made it clear: these freshmen don’t stay freshmen for long at Ohio State.
“Now, he’s a freshman, but OK, he’s got the ability,” Day said. “That’s the great thing about getting these guys in here in January.
They get to go through it, and by the time it gets to August, they get in September, they’re not freshmen anymore. Now they gotta go, and they came here to play.”
It’s not just Bey turning heads, either. Day also spoke highly of the rest of the young backs in the room.
Turbo Rogers and Favour Akih are both expected to get their first real looks this spring. And the Buckeyes added some veteran depth through the portal with Ja’Kobi Jackson, a transfer from Florida who brings experience and upside-similar to what CJ Donaldson brought to the team last season.
Still, with Jackson and West sidelined for the spring, the door is wide open for Bey to make his mark early. And based on everything we’ve heard so far, he’s not just a depth piece-he’s a potential game-changer.
Ohio State’s backfield is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing position groups on the roster. Between the returning talent, the new faces, and a head coach who isn’t shy about his expectations, there’s no shortage of storylines heading into spring camp.
And if Legend Bey keeps flashing that Tyreek Hill-type explosiveness? Don’t be surprised if he becomes a household name in Columbus before the leaves even start to turn.