Ryan Day, Ohio State will take the good and the bad with Legend Bey

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Legend Bey. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ryan Day, Ohio State will take the good and the bad with Legend Bey

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Sep 9, 2026 7:02 PM ET

Legend Bey has something special in him that makes him a must-watch player for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

He's also a true freshman, and he's only 18 years old.

Young football players make mistakes, and Bey made two as a kick returner for the Buckeyes in their 56-3 opening-weekend win over Ball State.

Twice, special teams coordinator Robbie Disher waived off Bey from returning a kick that was sent into the end zone.

Twice, Bey ignored those signals and decided to take out the football.

Head coach Ryan Day was not happy about that on the sideline.

Those two plays were really the only negatives from an otherwise easy afternoon for the Buckeyes, but let's not let them overshadow the positives Bey brought to the table as well.

Yes, he made two boneheaded mistakes as a kick returner, but he also had a moment like this, which is why many think the true freshman from Forney, Texas, can eventually be a Heisman Trophy candidate:

WELCOME TO COLUMBUS, TRUE FRESHMAN LEGEND BEY pic.twitter.com/ocn58MkfS4
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 5, 2026

Bey touched the ball 10 times in his Ohio State debut. Two of those came on the disastrous kick returns out of the end zone. The other eight touches produced 74 yards and a highlight touchdown.

Ryan Day and Ohio State will happily let Legend Bey learn on the fly

Yes, the Buckeyes are going to pound the rock with Bo Jackson this season, and Julian Sayin and superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith are going to put up some incredible numbers.

There's reason to believe that Bey could have a true impact as a freshman, though. He's going to make some mistakes, but the Buckeyes will figure out how to live with those as long as that dynamic ability helps them find the end zone.

"The kickoff returns were a disaster, so we gotta get that fixed," Day said, via Chase Brown of 11 Warriors.

In the very same breath, Day said what everyone else who watched the game was thinking about Bey.

"You can see the talent".

With many young players, a coach like Day would use some time on the bench to really drive home the point.

That won't be the case with this freshman, though. Don't expect Ohio State to keep Bey off the field for long, if at all.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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