Ohio State Injury Report: Ryan Day Announces Concerning RB Room News

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Ryan Day’s RB room takes another hit. At the start of Buckeyes spring practice, the head coach announced a double blow, with Bo Jackson and Isaiah West sidelined following shoulder surgeries. And now, a four-star freshman RB, who flipped his commitment to Ohio State last November after a visit and played as a dynamic dual-threat QB at North Forney High School in Texas before transitioning, is also out from spring practice.

“Legend Bey has been out for a couple of practices,” said Day during his Monday appearance.

Although the exact nature of Bey’s injury has not been revealed yet, Day hopes he’ll be back on the field soon. In fact, the freshman “certainly flashed” in the spring practice before his injury. He has already gained the trust of Ohio State football beat writer Stefan Krajisnik. “I’ll buy stock in the poor man’s Tyreek Hill. Legend Bey,” said Krajisnik, when he was asked which player he was buying the most stock in this spring practice.

However, that’s not all, as Buckeye Talk’s host Stephen Means went further inside the Bey buzz in Columbus, stating, “The reason I bring him up isn’t because I’m getting ready to say that Legend Bey is going to be a Heisman Trophy candidate this year. But long-term best-case scenario, whatever he’s going to be in his career, this is what we’re all thinking, is Curtis Samuel where he is equally a threat between the tackles as he is if you put him out wide of the slot, right?”

Samuel was a versatile player in OSU history to record over 1,000 career yards in both rushing and receiving. In fact, he was a vital part of the 2014 National Championship team before becoming a first-team All-American in 2016. Now, Means thinks Bey has that same potential to build a legacy here in the future because he accounted for over 4,000 rushing yards and 3,500 passing yards throughout his high school career.

Despite that, with Jackson and West out this spring, the Buckeyes have “a long way to go” at RB.

Last season, in the rivalry win against Michigan, Jackson racked up over 160 yards from scrimmage as a freshman. Meanwhile, against UCLA, West recorded a season-high 61 rushing yards and a TD. Now both of them are out of spring; Ohio State’s 2026 season could sting. But don’t worry, as OSU isn’t short on options at RB with players like Ja’Kobi Jackson, Anthony “Turbo” Rogers, and more.

Yet, for Ryan Day, the concern is not surrounding the RB room because the Buckeyes are facing more injuries ahead of this season.

Ohio State’s wounds continue to grow

With depth already stretched at RB, OSU is now also without TE Bennett Christian and LB Riley Pettijohn. Although both of these standouts were sidelined for undisclosed reasons, the timing couldn’t be tougher.

After experienced targets moved on, Christian stood as the lone returning option with meaningful game exposure. His impact showed up in the physical details. Now, with his absence, transfer TEs Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing are stepping into larger spring responsibilities. Still, the program’s offensive rhythm at the position now depends on how quickly he will be back on the field.

On the flip side, an LB unit is already searching for its next leaders following NFL departures; Pettijohn’s absence adds uncertainty. While both players are expected back before the season, the combined absences underline a serious concern. Now we will see how OSU’s 2026 season unfolds.

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