Ohio State is set to submit a written report to the NCAA early this week seeking the reinstatement of defensive end Chase Young, sources within the program have told Buckeye Sports Bulletin.
The Buckeyes held Young — who leads the nation with 13 1/2 sacks this season — out of Saturday’s 73-14 win over Maryland due to what program described as “a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the department of athletics is looking into.”
The news was first reported by Lettermen Row’s Austin Ward on Nov. 8 and confirmed shortly thereafter by Ohio State spokesman Jerry Emig.
In a statement released that afternoon, Young said he “made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend” that he has known since the summer before his freshman year at Ohio State but repaid the loan in full and is working with the university and the NCAA to “get back on the field as soon as possible.” He reportedly used that money to fly his girlfriend to California for the 2019 Rose Bowl.
Young — a junior who is just one sack shy of breaking the school single-season sack record — was coming off arguably the best game of his career, a four-sack performance in a 38-7 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 26.
Now, he must wait to see if or when he’ll suit up for the Buckeyes again.
Multiple reports have suggested anywhere from a two- to four-game suspension for Young, though those reports were shot down by Emig after the game.
“We don’t have any expectations right now regarding numbers of games,” Emig said.
The school does expect to receive a response from the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee within 24-48 hours of submitting the report. From there, the program would either agree with the committee’s ruling or appeal in hopes of lessening the punishment.
Sources within the Ohio State football program have also indicated the size of the loan and other mitigating circumstances could influence the length of Young’s suspension.
That said, a one- or two-game suspension would allow Young to return before the Buckeyes take on Penn State and Michigan on Nov. 23 and 30, respectively. But a four-game suspension would sideline him for the remainder of the regular season.
Either way, its unlikely Young will available for Ohio State’s game at Rutgers on Saturday (3:30 p.m. on BTN).
Stay tuned to Buckeye Sports Bulletin for more as this situation unfolds.
