COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Bennett Christian will not be playing this season after testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year.
Head coach Ryan Day made the announcement late Monday morning during a press conference.
Day said Christian tested positive for the unnamed supplement under NCAA testing protocols in January and he is ineligible to play for the 2023 season.
Christian will still be allowed to practice with the team.
"He's a great young man who made a mistake. He's got a great family and I commend him for being transparent," Day said.
In a written statement, Christian apologized for the situation and accepts responsibility for what happened.
“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 wrote. "The Ohio State staff does an outstanding job educating us. 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 said his goal this year will simply to be the best teammate he can be and support the program.
The redshirt freshman from Georgia played in two games last year against Toledo and Michigan State, but didn't record any stats.