Sources: Ohio St. expects 4-game ban for Young

9:46 AM ET

Ohio State expects star defensive end Chase Young to be handed a four-game suspension for accepting a loan from a family friend, sources told ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.

The Buckeyes are hopeful that an appeal of Young’s case with the NCAA will yield a reduction in the number of games, sources said.

The length of the suspension is tied to the monetary value of the loan Young said he took out in 2018, a loan he says he has since repaid.

Sources confirmed to ESPN that money from Young’s loan was used to help fly his girlfriend to attend the Rose Bowl.

The Athletic first reported the reason for Young’s loan.

Ohio State hopes to hear by next week the decision on Young’s appeal.

Young leads the FBS with 13.5 sacks and is tied for second with 15.5 tackles for loss.

He tied Ohio State’s single-game records for sacks (four) and tackles for loss (five) in the Buckeyes’ last game, a 38-7 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 26. He needs a half-sack to tie Vernon Gholston’s single-season team record set in 2007.

Young, a native of Maryland, will sit out Saturday’s game against the Terrapins. The top-ranked Buckeyes’ final three regular-season games are against Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan.

At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Young is considered a potential No. 1 pick in next spring’s NFL draft if he decides to forgo his final season of eligibility with the Buckeyes. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Young as the No. 1 player available for the 2020 draft on his latest Big Board.