Legend Bey is headed for a bigger role on Saturday after Ja'Kobi Jackson was ruled out, and Ohio State is preparing to lean on him more often against Indiana. Carlos Locklyn signaled on social media that Bey will get plenty of chances to carry the football.
That matters now because Ohio State is playing Indiana on Saturday, and the running back room is thinner than it was earlier in the week. Austin Siereveld is also out, while Bo Jackson is still expected to handle the majority of the carries. Bey is expected to be the backup ahead of Isaiah West, which gives him a clear path to the field if the game script demands it.
Locklyn posted a picture with Bey on Instagram and wrote, “Opportunities multiply and increase as they are seized or taken.!!! - Sun Tzu,” before adding, “Looks like Legend might be getting some run time today. 😤🔥🅾️” The message was not a formal depth chart announcement, but it was a direct hint that Bey’s workload is about to rise.
That would be a notable turn for a player whose burst has never been the problem. Bey has had trouble earning the trust of the coaches, and part of that has come from off-the-field problems that have kept him from moving faster into the rotation. When a player like that is suddenly pressed into a larger role, the question is not whether he can make a play. It is whether he can make enough of them to keep the staff confident in him from snap to snap.
A strong day against fifth-ranked IU could change that quickly. Ohio State beat Indiana in the Big Ten Championship last season, and after a bye next week, the schedule tightens again with USC and Oregon in consecutive games. If Bey handles the work well on Saturday, he could become a much larger part of the offense down the stretch. For now, the number of touches is still not fixed, but the opportunity is there.
