Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day announced that sophomore tight end Bennett Christian will not play for the Buckeyes this season after testing positive for a banned substance, according to Bill Rabinowitz. The test took place in January and Christian is ineligible to play for one year from the time of the test, per NCAA rules.
“I am sorry that I put myself in this position and even more disappointed to have let down my teammates, coaching staff and family,” Christian said, via Dan Hope. “I accept responsibility for my actions and for this suspension. This could have been so easily avoided had I reached out to our training staff about the supplement and confirmed it was within policy. That will forever be a lesson learned and something all athletes should be aware of going forward.”
Christian was a four-star recruit out of Georgia who committed to Ohio State as part of the class of 2022. He played nine snaps across two games for the Buckeyes as a freshman last season. He was not expected to get a significant increase in playing time this season with four other tight ends on the roster.
Day said that Christian is “a great young man who made a mistake” and commended him for being open and honest about his situation. There appears to be no ill will from the program toward Bennett, who will now shift his focus to being the best teammate off the field that he can be.
Ohio State is expected to be a national title contender once again in 2023. The Buckeyes are ranked third in the AP Top 25 preseason poll.
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