Legend Bey has an audition in Ohio State vs. Kent State that he can't screw up

No one can question how electric Ohio State freshman Legend Bey can be with the ball in his hands. In the season-opener, everyone saw that in the lopsided win over Ball State. However, his issues on special teams stood out in a negative way, with Bey returning two kicks out of the end zone after Brandon Inniss put his hands up for him to stay put.

Day took notice, replacing him for the Texas game with Devin McCuin. Against the Longhorns, Bey only played one single snap. A statement was made by Day, who doesn't care how good a freshman player is. If he doesn't follow orders or listen, he won't play. Period.

In Week 3 against Kent State, Day said that Bey is going to be his return man once again. That's right, Bey will be given his job back for a non-conference game Ohio State should cruise in. This is Bey's opportunity to show to Day and the rest of the staff that he has learned from his mistakes and he's ready to be a mainstay on the field for this team. Will he deliver here come Saturday?

Legend Bey has to earn back Ryan Day's trust against Kent State in Week 3

The cliche saying that trust is earned and not given could not be more appropriate here. Bey was clearly put in Day's doghouse against the Longhorns, with the unthinkable comeback win for Texas being something that's going to haunt the fanbase for a little while.

Bey no question could not have been happy about his lack of action. With that, he now has a golden opportunity to grab claim of his return man job and not lose it again. That will all depend on how he plays against Kent State. If he even thinks about not following orders by not taking a knee down in the end zone, he'll get benched.

Day is not going to allow the same mistakes to be repeated, especially by a youngster who is new to the program and is getting coached up at a high level. We have a feeling Bey is going to answer the call, while also getting himself more heavily involved in the offense.

In the Week 1 win, the true freshman posted two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown, plus 36 more yards on the ground. It was a great preview of how he can help out this group in 2026, but the lack of snaps against Texas sure stood out.

If anything, that should motivate Bey to put together a head-turning performance against Kent State and make sure he's used frequently the rest of the campaign. At the end of the day, it's on Bey to put what the coaches are telling him to good use and also take it to heart. He can show die-hard fans he's taken a big step in that department this weekend. If he does, it will be a big personal win for him, and it will also give Day every reason to believe that Bey is ready to keep pushing forward. 

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