Chase Young Suspended
The Ohio State Buckeyes will be without the nation’s best edge rusher when they play Maryland Saturday. Darkhorse Heisman hopeful Chase Young has been suspended indefinitely while the athletic department looks into potential NCAA rules violations that occurred in 2018.
The school announced early Friday that it was looking into potential eligibility issues for Young. He then took to Twitter to lay out the specifics of the issue, saying in part “I made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend… 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.”
— Chase Young (@youngchase907) November 8, 2019
Young’s lawyer also weighed in. “Chase took a small loan from a close family friend last year to cover basic life expenses… we’re working to restore his eligibility. Unfair and outdated NCAA rules punish athletes for making ends meet while enriching everyone else.”
Chase took a small loan from a close family friend last year to cover basic life expenses. Loan was repaid months ago and we’re working to restore his eligibility. Unfair and outdated @NCAA rules punish athletes for making ends meet while enriching everyone else. https://t.co/2Jsqj7f7TR
— Tim Nevius (@TimNevius) November 8, 2019
Similar Instances
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Alabama had a similar situation in 2013 with consensus All-American Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. He accepted a loan from Alabama’s strength and conditioning coach Corey Harris. Used for a summer trip home, the loan was less than $500. He ultimately had to sit out two games.
Denzil Ware
In 2017 Kentucky suspended Denzil Ware for the Music City Bowl because he had accepted money from an agent. Ware was not required to miss any additional time after transferring from Kentucky to Jacksonville State. He reportedly accepted $1,628 of impermissible benefits from an agent he had known since his junior year of high school.
Wait And See
Young leads the NCAA in sacks with 13.5 and is widely considered a top pick in next year’s NFL draft. While we do not know the full story yet about Chase Young’s loan, there are questions that will be asked before his eligibility can be restored. What is the relationship with this family friend? Is it someone in their inner circle that they have known for many years? The kind of friend with which you celebrate family events? Or is it someone who came into the picture as Young’s athletic prowess became apparent? And does that friend have ties at the next level. maybe with scouts or NFL teams? The former will likely be a very fixable situation. The latter could end his college career.
There is the question as to what Ohio State knew, and when. By all accounts they self-reported to the NCAA, and for good reason. There is the on-going issue of former athletic department physician Richard Strauss and dozens of sexual assault allegations. There is the cloud that was left behind by former coach Urban Meyer. The school can ill afford to do anything but dig deep into the investigation and cooperate with the NCAA.
There is also an issue as to how much the loan was. A level 1 violation is generally less than $200, and if proof of repayment is provided, the rules do not call for any loss of eligibility. Was Young suspended for Saturday’s game because it was more than a $200 loan? Or was Ohio State being ultra-proactive in hopes of gaining some credibility with the NCAA?
As more information becomes available it will become more clear how long we can expect Young to be sidelined.
Freshmen and sophomores will have to step up for the Buckeyes. Listed as co-starters for Saturday’s game against Maryland are Zach Harrison, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Tyreke Smith, and Tyler Friday are all freshmen or sophomores. Ohio State will also be without starting defensive end Jonathon Cooper he has been ruled out with an injury.
