Legend Bey is starting to look like the player Ohio State has been talking up since the moment he arrived.
The freshman running back became the eighth Buckeye to lose his black stripe, a sign he’s now fully part of the program. For a player head coach Ryan Day has compared to Tyreke Hill, Curtis Samuel and Xavier Johnson, it’s the first real checkpoint in turning all that buzz into something Ohio State can count on.
Bey’s path to Columbus has not exactly been smooth. He initially flipped from Tennessee, then later signed with the Volunteers anyway before reports surfaced that his family influenced that decision even though he wanted to be a Buckeye. He was eventually released from that agreement and able to sign with Ohio State.
Once he got to campus, the setbacks kept coming. Bey missed a good chunk of spring while dealing with an injury, then sat out the first two days of fall camp because of a suspension for violating team rules. Even so, the talent has been hard to miss.
That matters for a running back room Day entered spring feeling uneasy about. Ohio State’s top two backs, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, are not full participants after offseason surgeries, leaving four players who had never been through a spring in Columbus before. Bey, even with the missed time, has been viewed as the jewel of that group.
Now the focus shifts from introduction to production. Ohio State sees a player who can threaten defenses in multiple ways, and Day didn’t hide the excitement.
“He has a tremendous skillset,” Day said. “He’s dynamic when the ball is in his hands.”
In Other News...
Ohio State May Have Found Jeremiah Smiths Most Dangerous New Running Mate
Ohio States passing game already has a centerpiece in Jeremiah Smith, but the preseason chatter around the Buckeyes is starting to turn toward who can force defenses to pay for loading up on him. Eleven Warriors ranking of the programs top 20 players for 2026 points to Devin McCuin as the likeliest No. 2 receiver, and the fit is obvious enough to get attention. The UTSA transfer brings proven production, having piled up 152 catches, 1,696 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons, along with the speed and playmaking traits that can stretch a defense horizontally and vertically.
What has made McCuin stand out inside the program is not just the track record, but the way Ohio States coaches and teammates have talked about him since he arrived. Theyve praised his physicality, his football IQ and the kind of impact he can have on an offense that expects to keep the pressure on opposing secondaries. If McCuin does become the Buckeyes next dangerous running mate for Smith, it could give Ohio State the sort of receiver pairing that turns a good passing attack into a nightmare to defend. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Backfield Suddenly Looks Like A Real Strength Again
Ryan Day has made it clear throughout camp that Ohio States season will depend in part on getting steady production from the backfield, and the early signs have been encouraging. Bo Jackson has stood out with noticeable improvement, while Isaiah West and transfer JaKobi Jackson have added to the sense that this group is deeper and more competitive than it was a year ago.
For a team with big goals, that matters because the Buckeyes do not just need one runner to pop, they need a room that can carry real weight when the schedule tightens. The coaching staff and players have both pointed to the talent in the group as a key piece of what they are trying to build, and the challenge now is turning a promising camp into something that holds up once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Quarterback Problem Behind Julian Sayin
Julian Sayin has settled in as Ohio States starter for the upcoming season, but the depth chart behind him is still taking shape. Ryan Day said freshman Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair are continuing to battle for the backup job, and the competition has not been decided yet as the Buckeyes work through camp.
Fahey and St. Clair are both expected to get early-season snaps, giving the staff a clearer read on which young quarterback is ready if the need arises. For Ohio State, the bigger question may not be who wins the job today, but who can be trusted to step in behind Sayin when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]