Chase Young says he’s planning on returning to Ohio State

The best non-quarterback prospect in the NFL Draft may not be entering the draft at all.

When asked about his draft plans, Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young says his plan is to go back to school for his senior year, per TMZ.

Young is currently in New York City getting ready for the Heisman Trophy presentation, which he was nominated for. After that, he’ll be playing in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson.

Young has until the middle of January to officially decide whether or not to declare for the draft, and he’d be wise to do so. As the consensus best defensive player, and maybe best overall player in the country, Young would surely be a top-five pick if he remains healthy from now until April. Even if he doesn’t dominate versus Clemson or in the championship game if Ohio State wins, he’ll still be highly regarded.

It’s up to what’s more important to Young, and it seems that right now he wants to keep playing at Ohio State.

As for the Bengals, this would be brutal news if they don’t get the top pick and Young does return to school. Getting Young or LSU’s Joe Burrow would be a major get for the Bengals, so if Young stays in school, getting the top pick becomes even more critical to the future of the franchise.