Bennett Christian issues statement after being suspended for 2023 season

Ohio State tight end Bennett Christian released a statement Monday afternoon after Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day announced earlier in the day that Christian will be suspended for the 2023 season. Christian tested positive for a banned substance back in January. Day released the news on Monday.

“We’re not going to have Bennett Christian this season. He tested positive for a banned supplement in January,” Day told reporters. “He feels terrible. He knows he made a mistake. Still going to practice with us. Still an important part of the team.”

Day added that Christian wants to share his story so that others will not make the same mistake he did.

Here is the full statement from Christian, which he released on Twitter:

“I’d like to share the news today that I took a supplement that contained a banned substance and I will be ineligible to compete for the Buckeyes for the entire 2023 football season. I tested positive this past January under NCAA testing protocols and I will not be eligible again until next January.

“I am sorry that I putmyself in this position and even more disappointed to have let down my teammates, coaching staff, and family. I accept responsibility for my actions and for this suspension. This all could’ve been so easily avoided if I would’ve reached out to our training staff about the supplement and clarify that it was within policy. That will forever be a lesson learned and something all athletes should be aware of going forward.

“My goal this year is to be the absolute best teammate I can be, and to continue to support this program for which I am so grateful to be a part. I look forward to returning in 2024.”

Christian appeared in two games last season after signing with the Buckeyes out of Georgia.

He was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 386 overall player in the country for the class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

Despite Bennett Christian finding himself in trouble at the moment, Day insists that this is out of character for him. The Ohio State head coach still feels good about his future in the program.

“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. “He accepts his responsibility. He wants to share his story with everybody and with the team, which we’ll allow him to do later today so others don’t make the same mistake.”