COLUMBUS — Chase Young is off to the NFL.
The unanimous All-American defensive end announced his decision Friday on Twitter, writing, “Thank you to this great university and the entire state of Ohio for making me one of your own. I will never forget my time here and consider myself a Buckeye for life.”
James 1:17... Buckeye For Life...✌🏽❤️ pic.twitter.com/symHLRRuCB
— CY2 (@youngchase907) January 3, 2020
Young is expected to be the No. 1 or 2 pick in April’s draft after a historically dominant season in 2019 that featured 16 1/2 sacks and six forced fumbles. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish for a defensive player since 2012.
Young won the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football, the most prestigious honor in the Big Ten, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, and Ted Hendricks Award. He finishes with 98 career tackles, 40 1/2 tackles for loss, and 30 1/2 sacks, second in OSU history behind Mike Vrabel.
Young’s departure is a big one, but the defensive line is one of Ohio State’s deepest positions, with Jonathon Cooper, Zach Harrison, Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Noah Potter, and Alex Willilams.
First Published January 3, 2020, 6:24 p.m.
