Ohio State may be without Heisman Trophy contender Chase Young the rest of the regular season amid an NCAA investigation into the star defensive end accepting a loan to help pay for his girlfriend’s flight to the 2018 Rose Bowl.
The top-ranked Buckeyes expect Young to be issued a four-game suspension, according to ESPN, for borrowing money from a family friend not believed to be tied to the Buckeyes program.
The NCAA prohibits student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, but it’s unclear exactly what rule Young violated. Young, who is said to have repaid the loan in April, already is missing Saturday’s game against Maryland due to the NCAA violation.
After Saturday, the top-ranked Buckeyes have three regular-season games left against Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan — the penultimate game against the No. 4 Nittany Lions is expected to have major College Football Playoff implications, with the winner potentially paving its path to the four-team playoff.
“I made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend I’ve known since the summer before my freshman year at OSU,” Young tweeted Friday.
He added that he was “working with the University and NCAA to get back on the field as soon as possible.”
The NCAA’s Board of Governors in late October voted unanimously to allow student-athletes to make money off their names “in a matter consistent with the collegiate model” beginning no later than January 2021.
Young leads the FBS with 13.5 sacks and is tied for second with 15.5 tackles for loss.