In the end, this is about the best possible scenario for both the player and the football program.
In a press release early Wednesday afternoon, Ohio State confirmed that standout defensive end Chase Young will be suspended for one more game, this Saturday’s matchup with woebegone Rutgers. Young had already been suspended for last Saturday’s win over Maryland.
The university had requested Young’s immediate reinstatement, which was denied by the NCAA.
From the release:
The ruling means that Young will be available for both the No. 9 Penn State and No. 15 Michigan games to close out the 2019 regular season.
No. 2 Ohio State confirmed last Friday morning that star defensive end Chase Young would not be playing in this past Saturday’s game against Maryland. Per the school, Young would be sidelined for the foreseeable future “due to a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the Department of Athletics is looking into.” On his personal Twitter account, Young acknowledged he had “made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend” that he “repaid… in full last summer.” It was subsequently reported that the loan was used to pay for airfare for Young’s family — or, more specifically, his girlfriend — so they could see him play in January’s Rose Bowl against Washington.
On ESPN‘s College GameDay a day after the initial suspension was announced, Kirk Herbstreit, a former Buckeyes quarterback, stated that, because of the amount of money involved, Young will be slotted for a four-game suspension. The university will appeal that initial number and it’s expected that the suspension will be knocked down to “two games, maybe three games,” Herbstreit stated, adding, “it won’t stay at four.”
Young had been practicing with the rest of his teammates as if he would be playing this weekend; obviously, that won’t be happening, but the talented lineman will be available for a stout stretch run that will determine OSU’s postseason fate.
“I want to thank and express my sincere gratitude to university staff members who worked so diligently and expertly to learn and understand the facts, and then to report these facts to the NCAA as part of our request to have Chase reinstated,” athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement. “This is the example of the culture of compliance we have at Ohio State.
“I also want to commend Chase Young and let him know how proud we are of him. He took responsibility for his actions, cooperated throughout the process and understood and accepted that there would be consequences. He’s a team captain and a leader and most importantly, a Buckeye. He wanted nothing more than an opportunity to play again and we’re pleased that he’ll get that chance.”
Despite missing this past weekend’s game, a blowout win over the Terps, Young still leads the nation in sacks (13½) and sacks per game (1.69). The junior, widely expected be one of the first players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft if he does the expected and foregoes his remaining eligibility, is also third nationally in tackles per loss per game (1.9).
“I appreciate the expediency to which the NCAA reviewed and responded to our request for reinstatement,” Smith said in a continuation of his statement. “We felt that based on the circumstances, the NCAA would use its leadership capacity to take an understanding approach on behalf of all student-athletes who find themselves in a similar position, and it certainly did just that.”
