Ohio State looking into potential NCAA violation involving Chase Young

>>READ MORE: Young offers information on his situation

The nation’s leading sacker is ineligible “due to a possible NCAA issue from 2018 that the department of athletics is looking into” according to a statement from the school.

With 13.5 sacks this season, Young is on the cusp of breaking the school single-season record and has garnered talk as a potential Heisman Trophy winner despite playing defense.

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Young enters the weekend with 13.5 sacks, the most in the country and .5 short of the school single-season record set by Vernon Gholston in 2007.

He is fourth in the country in tackles for loss (15.5) and second in forced fumbles (five).

He has a sack in 10 consecutive games and is coming off a game in which he broke the school single-game record for tackles for loss (five) and tied the record with four sacks against No. 13 Wisconsin.

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Young is not the only regular who could miss the game against Maryland.

Ohio State also announced Jonathon Cooper, who starts at end opposite Young on the Buckeye defense, is out while receiver Austin Mack and reserve linebacker Teradja Mitchell are game-time decisions.

Without Young and Cooper, Ohio State lists the starting defensive ends as Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison with Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Tyler Friday as the backups.

Smith, a sophomore who was a four-star recruit, and Harrison, a five-star freshman, are widely regarded as the future of the “Rushmen” coached by Larry Johnson, but they were not expected to be in such large roles this season with Young and fellow captain Cooper available.

Mack missed the Wisconsin game and has a more-than-capable backup in Chris Olave, who caught seven passes for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Badgers.

Mitchell is a reserve and key special-teamer when healthy.