The recruitment of four-star athlete Legend Bey has devolved into one of the most chaotic storylines of the 2025 National Signing Day cycle, featuring conflicting announcements, alleged family disputes and a deleted social media post that has left fans in Columbus and Knoxville bewildered.
While the Tennessee Volunteers officially announced Bey as a signee on Wednesday, the player’s own social media account briefly told a different story—one of coercion and family discord.
The Confusion
Bey, a highly touted prospect from North Forney, Texas, had been committed to Ohio State since mid-November after flipping from Tennessee. However, on National Signing Day, Tennessee announced they had received his paperwork, effectively flipping him back to the Volunteers.
The narrative took a bizarre turn on Thursday when a post appeared on Bey’s X (formerly Twitter) account. The now-deleted message claimed that Bey had been locked out of his Instagram and X accounts by his older brother.
“I won’t sign to the school him and my mother wants,” the post read, signed “Legend Bey.”
The post suggests that while paperwork may have been submitted to Tennessee, it was done so at the behest of his mother and brother, potentially against Bey’s own desire to attend Ohio State. Reports from 247Sports indicate that Bey arrived at his high school signing ceremony wearing Ohio State gear, fully intending to sign with the Buckeyes, but was blocked by his mother who refused to sign the necessary documents.
The Family Dynamic
Sources close to the recruitment allege that Bey’s family, specifically his mother and brother, have taken control of the process. Because Bey is 17 years old, he requires a parent or legal guardian’s signature to validate his binding agreement with a university.
The deleted post and subsequent reports paint a picture of a prospect caught in a tug-of-war between his personal preference and his family’s wishes. Insiders suggest that Bey is unhappy with the move to Tennessee and may seek a release from the program once he turns 18 later this month.
The Rules: Can He Back Out?
The situation raises questions about the validity of a National Letter of Intent (or its modern equivalent) when a minor is involved. Here is a breakdown of the NCAA rules governing this scenario:
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Parental Signature is Mandatory: For any prospective student-athlete under the age of 21 (and specifically minors under 18), the NCAA requires a parent or legal guardian to co-sign the binding agreement. Without the parent’s signature, the document is generally invalid. Conversely, a document signed only by the parent and not the student is also typically invalid, though schools often accept the paperwork if it appears complete.
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The “NLI” Change: It is important to note that as of October 2024, the NCAA officially eliminated the traditional “National Letter of Intent” program. It has been replaced by financial aid agreements and revenue-sharing contracts. However, the binding nature remains similar: once signed, the athlete is committed to the institution for one academic year.
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Claims of Duress: If Bey can prove he signed the document under duress—or that he never signed it himself and his family forged or submitted it without his consent—he could have grounds to appeal for the agreement to be declared null and void.
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Turning 18: Bey turns 18 on Christmas Eve. Upon reaching the age of majority, he gains the legal capacity to sign contracts on his own behalf. If he has not validly signed with Tennessee (or if the previous contract is voided due to duress), he could theoretically sign with Ohio State at that time.
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Requesting a Release: If the agreement is deemed valid, Bey’s primary recourse is to request a release from Tennessee. While schools used to restrict where a player could transfer, modern rules and the specific “NLI” changes make it easier for players to be released, though penalties (such as sitting out a year) can still apply depending on the specific conference rules and the timing of the release.
247Sports’ Mike Roach reported on Thursday that Bey is “unhappy” with the decision to sign with Tenensese and will seek to find a way out of his national letter of intent with the Vols.
“Sources told 247Sports Wednesday evening that Bey was unhappy with the decision and would seek a path to be released from Tennessee and end up at Ohio State,” wrote Roach. “We were told that this would likely play out in three weeks when Bey turns 18 years old on Christmas Eve, but Bey decided to communicate his unrest Thursday.”
Roach also mentioned that Tennessee will not keep Bey against his will if he genuinely wants to leave, especially since it seems clear that he was compelled to sign under duress by his mother and brother.
For now, Bey remains officially a Tennessee Volunteer on paper, but the battle for his final destination appears far from over.
