UPDATED 10:57 a.m. ET: In a tweet posted to his Twitter account, Chase Young‘s lawyer, Tim Nevius, confirmed that the issue arose from a “small loan from a close family friend” his client accepted that got the Ohio State defensive end into some NCAA tepid water, adding that “we’re working to restore eligibility.”
The lawyer also got a shot in at The Association, writing that "[u]nfair and outdated @NCAA rules punish athletes for making ends meet while enriching everyone else.”
On that front, he’s 100-percent correct.
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 Unfair and outdated @NCAA rules punish athletes for making ends meet while enriching everyone else.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
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Now we know a little bit more about what’s quickly morphed into the biggest story in college football.
Ohio State confirmed earlier Friday that star defensive end and rising Heisman Trophy contender Chase Young will not play in this Saturday’s game against Maryland. Per the school, Young will be sidelined for the foreseeable future “due to a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the Department of Athletics is looking into.”
A short time ago, the player himself took to Twitter to shed some light on what most around the program will be a very brief suspension.
— Chase Young (@youngchase907) November 8, 2019
If that is indeed all there is to the issue, kudos to the already-under-fire NCAA for stepping all over their junk. Again.
Young’s 13½ sacks currently lead the nation, while he’s tied for second in tackles for loss with 15½. The preseason All-American is one sack away from setting the school’s single-season record.
The lineman won’t be missed for this weekend’s game against Maryland, or even the following game against woebegone Rutgers. His availability for the Nov. 23 game against Penn State, however, will be of the utmost importance for OSU’s College Football Playoff hopes.
A junior, Young is widely expected to forego his remaining season of eligibility and make himself available for the 2020 NFL Draft, where he’s projected to be one of the first players selected.