Defensive end Chase Young, the best player on one of college football’s best teams, Ohio State, will not play this weekend as the university investigates possible NCAA violations.
Young will sit “due to a possible issue with the NCAA dating back to 2018 that the Department of Athletics is investigating,” the school said in a statement Friday.
Young, a junior, released his own statement on Twitter, suggesting the violation was loan-related.
“I made a mistake last year by accepting a loan from a family friend who I have known since the summer before my freshman year at OSU,” Young wrote. “I paid it off in full last summer and am working with the University and the NCAA to get back on the field as quickly as possible.”
The school did not provide further details on the issue and the NCAA declined to comment. It was not immediately clear whether Young’s suspension would continue past this weekend.
Ohio State is 8-0 and became the No. 1 team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings this week. Their perfect record includes wins against strong Michigan State and Wisconsin teams.
Ohio State meets Maryland on Saturday, a game in which the Buckeyes are favored by 43 points. After facing another weak team, Rutgers, on November 16, OSU faces a real test against Penn State on November 23. Penn State was ranked No. 4 in the initial rankings, ahead of Clemson, the defending champion.
Ohio State concludes its regular season against rival Michigan on November 30.
Young has 15½ tackles for a loss this season and 13½ sacks, which leads the nation. As a junior, he is widely expected to be a top-three NFL draft pick after the season. He was also touted as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, a rare honor for a defensive player (the award often goes to quarterbacks).
At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Young became known as the Predator for his fearsome pass rushes.
Billy Witz contributed reporting.
