Ohio State star Chase Young said Friday his eligibility issue stems from a loan he received from a family friend last year which he said he repaid.
Young, one of the nation’s top pass rushers, is set to miss Saturday’s game against Maryland and could be facing a bigger punishment should the NCAA rule he committed a violation. The junior released a statement on the matter.
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“Unfortunately, I won’t be playing this week because of an NCAA eligibility issue. 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. I repaid it in full last summer and I’m working with the University and NCAA to get back on the field as soon as possible.
“I want to thank my family, teammates, coaches and the whole Ohio State community for all the love and support. God bless and go Bucks!”
It’s unclear how much money he received or what the money was used for.
Ohio State announced that Young would be out for the game against the Terrapins earlier Friday.
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“Ohio State’s Chase Young will not play in this Saturday’s game between the Buckeyes and the Maryland Terrapins due to a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the Department of Athletics is looking into,” the school said in a statement.
The Heisman Trophy contender could possibly miss the rest of the 2019 season and any bowl game or College Football Playoff game over the alleged violation, Letterman Row reported.
Sources told the Buckeyes-centric website that the violation was unclear but the program remains optimistic that Young would be back on the field at some point this season.
Young is among the leaders on the Ohio State defense, which helped the team gain the No. 1 spot in the first College Football Playoff poll released earlier this week.
Young has 29 total tackles and 13.5 sacks this season for Ohio State. The junior is also expected to be one of the top picks in next year’s NFL Draft.
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Luckily for the Buckeyes, the team’s next two games against Maryland and Rutgers involve relatively easy teams to walk through. The team would definitely need Young back for the Nov. 23 matchup against Penn State.
