Ohio State Buckeyes freshman utility skill-position threat Legend Bey, who is reportedly in the running to play at running back, receiver, and in special teams as a returner, is looking so good at spring practice that observers believe he is guaranteed to see the field.
Last Word On Sports' Drew Crabtree deemed Bey "too explosive to keep off the field in 2026" and believes "The question is where he is used," not whether he will be used during the upcoming campaign.
"Most interestingly, Bey has not been exclusive to the running back individual drills. In addition to working with Carlos Locklyn and the running backs, he has taken some reps with the wide receivers, led by new position coach Cortez Hankton. Bey was working out of the slot and working on being a receiver out of the backfield," Crabtree wrote.
"Finally, one of the ways young players make an impact early is on special teams. Day has brought that mentality with him throughout his tenure, which he learned from his predecessor. Bey has been fielding punts in practice alongside Smith, Brandon Inniss, De’Zie Jones, Chris Henry Jr., and Phillip Bell. When the Buckeyes start working on kick return, it would make sense that Bey would be in the rotation to find the best two returners on the team."
Ohio State is hoping Legend Bey can be the next Curtis Samuel
Ryan Day arrived in Columbus just after the legend of Curtis Samuel, who is the only player in program history who has ever had over 1,000 receiving yards and over 1,000 rushing yards. Day is hoping he has the next Samuel, however.
Bey could be to Day what Samuel was to Urban Meyer, who believed Samuel became great because of his toughness. Per Meyer in 2016, "A lot of times, guys with that kind of skill set aren't the toughest guys in the world, and as a result, they don't become much. This guy is a tough guy."
Samuel went on to become a second-round draft pick and is still in the NFL as a free agent, having played in the league since 2017 for the Carolina Panthers, Washington Football Team/Commanders, and, most recently, the Buffalo Bills.
The way OSU produces NFL talent under Day, there's no reason to think Bey can't reach those same heights someday.