Ryan Day Drops Legendary Comparison for Ohio State Commit Legend Bey

The Buckeyes head coach gave the fans a new player to watch for in the upcoming spring game.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to media following the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State continued its reign of bringing in great young talent this offseason when it signed the 5th-best recruiting class in the nation, according to 247 Sports. The 2026 class included multiple five-star prospects like wide receiver Chris Henry Jr from California, linebacker Cincere Johnson from Ohio, and cornerback Jay Timmons from Pennsylvania.

Along with bringing in Henry, the Buckeyes also signed another big-time receiver in Jerquaden Guilford, a top ten player at the position. The Bucks also bolstered their offensive line by signing the sixth-ranked offensive tackle in the nation, Sam Greer, as the Ohio native stayed home.

One pickup that should not go unnoticed is Legend Bey, an athlete from Forney, Texas, ranked as the 6th-best athlete in the country. Bey projects to play running back at Ohio State, a position where he could see some early playing time with some injuries to Bo Jackson and Isaiah West.

What Ryan Day said about Legend Bey

Buckeyes coach Ryan Day had some glamorous remarks to describe Bey recently:

"He's dynamite. I've called him a poor man's Tyreek Hill. He's lightning in a bottle, and he can do a lot of things for us."

Bey and Hill are comparable in size, as Hill is 5’10”, 191 lb, and Bey is also 5’10”, but a bit lighter at 175 lb. Along with the size similarities, the speed similarities are also there. 

In college, Hill posted a 10.19 time in the 100-meter, while in high school in 2012, Bey ran a wind-aided 10.23 100-meter time as a junior in high school. 

The recruitment of Bey was filled with drama, as OSU heavily recruited Bey since the start of 2025. He initially committed to Tennessee in June of 2025, but then decommitted in November after taking an official visit to Ohio State. He committed the same day to the Buckeyes.

Signing day came with a surprise though, as Bey ended up signing back with the Volunteers after reports came out that people in his circle pressured him to go to Tennessee. Bey decommitted just 13 days later, then committed and signed back to the Buckeyes.

Bey seems to be in the right place now, and his new head coach is very happy to be able to utilize his skills. The 4,000 + yard rusher who added 57 touchdowns on the ground in his high school career will look to make his first mark in the spring game on April 18th in Columbus.