The Ohio State Buckeyes missed out on signing Legend Bey, the 4-star athlete in the 2026 class, on Early Signing Day when he signed with the Tennessee Volunteers. Bey was originally committed to the Vols before flipping his commitment to Ohio State on November 10. He later flipped back to Tennessee and signed with the Vols on Dec. 3.
The story behind the decision is where things get complicated. Reports indicate that Bey himself wanted to sign with Ohio State, but his mother and other family members pushed for Tennessee. Because Bey was only 17 years old on signing day, his mother was required to sign off on the decision and ultimately coerced him into signing with the Vols. It is a wild situation surrounding one of the top Texas recruits in the 2026 class. At least reportedly so.
However, Bey turns 18 on Christmas Eve, and rumors continue to surface that he wants out of his commitment to Tennessee and hopes to return to Ohio State.
On3 and Rivals national recruiting reporter Sam Spiegelman reported on Monday that Bey has requested his letter of release from Tennessee and discussed the current status between the Vols and the Buckeyes.
“At the moment, yes,” Spiegelman said when asked whether Bey was still with Tennessee on Sunday. “They have requested their letter of release from Tennessee and they are waiting for Tennessee to confirm this. This could come as early as today, as tomorrow. This is in the works, Josh. You know what? Whether it was his mother or somebody else who forged his signature, Tennessee got a signature on national signing day. They got the flip done at the buzzer; however, it does look like they are going to get out of this. This is going to be another flip, potentially, in the works for Legend Bey between Tennessee and, what we’re assuming, is Ohio State.”
Regardless of whether Tennessee grants the release, Spiegelman said Josh Heupel and his staff have been working diligently to keep Bey in the Vols’ 2026 class.
“Yeah, of course,” Spiegelman said. “They want him to be a Tennessee Vol. They won a really competitive recruitment during his official visits when he was between Tennessee and Texas A&M. And, as we know, they certainly won over Mom in this recruitment. Mom was very excited about Legend’s future in Knoxville and Rocky Top. But there’s a lot of change going on, and I think that the official visit to Columbus and the push from Carlos Locklyn, who was his lead recruiter when he was with the (Oregon) Ducks, continued to offer and recruit him when he was in Columbus. Once that visit happened, I think that Legend’s mind was ultimately made up. Maybe not for everyone in his family, but certainly, I expect Ohio State to eventually win this battle.”
Spiegelman also added that, based on the information he has received, he expects Tennessee to grant Bey his release.
NEWS: Tennessee signee Legend Bey has reportedly requested his letter of release from Tennessee and appears to be headed to Ohio State.
via @Rivalspic.twitter.com/R6kC90CzHM
— Vol Report (@AllVolReport) December 15, 2025
It has been a wild recruitment, but if everything plays out as expected, the Buckeyes could add another 4-star prospect to an already stacked 2026 class. According to 247Sports, Bey is ranked No. 149 nationally, the No. 7 athlete in the class, and the No. 21 player out of Texas. He would be a major addition for Ohio State, offering elite speed, versatility, and playmaking ability at multiple positions. With Bey set to turn 18 in eight days, clarity on his future could come soon.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Top 2026 Recruit Seeks Tennessee Release, Ohio State Flip Back On
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