Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day was optimistic about Legend Bey returning from an injury that's kept him out of a few spring practices, but he sounded worried about it setting back the 5-star freshman's transition from quarterback to running back, plus potentially receiver, and in the return game.
Per Day, “Legend has been out here for a couple of practices. Hopefully, we can get him back here soon. He certainly flashed when he was in there, but making the transition from being a quarterback to playing running back is two different things, especially at Ohio State.”
Previously, Bey was showing extreme progress with getting used to the speed of college ball, described as "too explosive to keep off the field in 2026" two weeks ago. His first week of practice made him a star.
As we now know, things quieting down for the multi-positional athlete was a byproduct of nagging injuries that don't appear to be taking Bey out for any longer. His absence won't be extended, and his progress will hopefully resume.
Ohio State already missing key running backs this offseason
While more players getting burn at running back is a good thing, missing most of the guys who will be taking snaps this fall in the first month of practice is objectively a bad thing. Day is experiencing that with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West both out with shoulder injuries indefinitely, though not long enough to include the upcoming campaign.
We may see redshirt freshman running back Anthony Rogers benefit the most from these injuries, but the offense will suffer if only a handful of backs have familiarity and reps with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's playbook.
We'll see how things unfold this spring and how bullish Day is about Bey in the coming weeks when he returns. Any lingering issues for Bey would be one of the worst-case scenarios for the Buckeyes imaginable, considering how behind the RB room already is this offseason.