Bennett Christian was crushed.

It was shortly before Ohio State opened spring practice last year when he learned he had tested positive for a banned substance.

“I was devastated,” Christian said. “It really caught me off guard. It was a rough time.”

A tight end who redshirted as a freshman in 2022, he would not see his role grow in his second season with the Buckeyes because the positive test result led the NCAA to rule him ineligible for a year.

Despite the challenges brought on by the setback, he sought to make the most of the situation.

“I grew from it,” he said. “It was a lesson learned for sure.”

Christian found he needed to consult with the training staff before buying a supplement from a nutrition store, the issue he said caused his positive test. He did not specify the type of supplement he took.

In drills, he sought to develop as a blocker and pass catcher. While unable to appear in games as part of the suspension, he could still practice with the Buckeyes.

It led to a lot of reps with Ohio State’s scout team, lining up across from starting defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau as they prepared for the week’s opponent.

More: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

“They’re the best in the country at their position,” Christian said, “and getting to go against them and really work on my technique, my hand placement, my feet for a year, for not being able to play, I developed at a really good rate.”

The effort stood out to Keenan Bailey, the Buckeyes’ tight ends coach.

“A lot of people would have tucked their tails and ran,” Bailey said. “It's a credit to how he was raised and the coaches he's been around. I think Bennett handled it well and developed.”

More than a year later, Christian has put the ordeal behind him.

“I’m way past it,” he said. “I’m ready for this season.”

If he makes further strides, he could be in the mix for snaps this fall. The departure of Cade Stover, a nard-nosed tight end who was a finalist for the John Mackey Award last fall, has left a glaring hole at the top of the depth chart.

“We’re going to miss Cade for sure,” Christian said, “but we’re all competing and making each other better.”

The Buckeyes brought in Will Kacmarek, a transfer tight end from Ohio in January, leaving OSU with four scholarship tight ends in spring practice, but are largely thin on experience at the position. That includes Christian. During his redshirt season two years ago, he appeared only in a nonconference rout of Toledo. Then last fall, he said he flew under the radar due to being ineligible.

“That was OK,” he said. “I accepted it. I learned from it. But I put my head down and got better, so I’m trying to transition that and keep it going.”

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: Bennett Christian talks return after suspension