Carlos Locklyn Says Freshman RB Legend Bey ‘Has A Chance To Be Really Good’

Ohio State’s running back situation was a major sticking point of the spring, with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West both out with shoulder injuries.

Joining those two on the sideline was true freshman Legend Bey, who brought all kinds of hype with him to Ohio State with his elite track speed, and ability to run the ball on the gridiron.

But even with so many injuries and players missing out on what could be valuable development time, running backs coach Carlos Locklyn didn’t have any worries about how good his room could be in the 2026 season.

“I hear all of the concerns. I have no concerns,” Locklyn said in April. I just smile every day coming into the building because I know what the room is. … Bo and Isaiah should be better in year two, and Turbo getting healthy. Legend is Legend. This kid has a chance to be really good.”

Bey posted a 10.23-second 100-meter dash time in high school and has been officially timed at 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Those times were both before Ohio State was able to get its hands on the speedster.

Bey was a quarterback in high school, so there will certainly be some transitioning needed as he gets used to being at running back every day.

But Locklyn didn’t seem very worried about the transition. When the running backs coach was recruiting Bey, he could see his ability as a runner even when Bey Bey was under center.

“He’s been playing running back his whole life. He moved to quarterback in high school, but he was pretty much playing running back then,” Locklyn joked about the freshman. “I told Legend, ‘You’re a fake quarterback. You’re just dropping back and running the ball.’ His ability to make people miss, short-area burst, it looks like art when he’s out there running.”

Locklyn isn’t really wrong about the way that Bey approached the quarterback position when he was at North Forney High School. But there was good reason for Bey playing the position that way.

In 10 regular season games during his senior season, Bey threw for 1,341 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he was much more productive in the run game. On the ground, he had 1,626 yards and 23 scores, running for 13.4 yards per attempt.

In his junior season, 247Sports says he threw for over 1,400 yards, but ran for over 1,900 yards and accounted for 41 total offensive touchdowns.

While Locklyn wasn’t going to anoint Bey a starter due to his impressive speed, he did seem excited to see what the true freshman can do when he gets on to the field.

“It’s exciting to see a kid with that type of juice,” Locklyn said. “Some days I want to choke him because of how he carries the ball and some days he has to stay at it because he’s used to playing quarterback.

“He’s a tough kid, though. He’s not soft. But I like seeing that speed, that change of direction, because you can give him the ball and the next thing you know, he’s gone. That’s something that we need.”

Last year, the Buckeyes didn’t have any big-time home runs in the run game. Bo Jackson broke free for a 64-yard run against Ohio University in Week 3 of the season, which helped him earn the starting role full-time, but there weren’t any long-range touchdowns out of the backfield.

Bey’s speed could help when it comes to hitting those home runs, and he could also be of use in special teams as a returner, an area where the Buckeyes have been looking to improve for the last couple of years.

Sometimes all of the talk and excitement about Bey can make him feel like a superhuman, but Locklyn joked that Bey does still have his limitations.

One area where the running backs coach made sure to say he won’t be using Bey is when he needs a power back, though. His speed may be top-tier, but Locklyn said he’ll likely be using Bo Jackson, West or Ja’Kobi Jackson in short yardage.

“I’m not putting Legend Bey on third-and-one on the goal line. If I do that, y’all (the media) meet me in the parking lot,” Locklyn joked.