Eric Boggs
Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn finds himself at the center of a legal dispute with the University of Oregon following his move to Columbus ahead of the 2024 football season. The Ducks filed a civil lawsuit in Lane County Circuit Court earlier this month, alleging breach of contract and claiming Locklyn owes the university a $400,000 buyout after departing for the Buckeyes.
Oregon asserts that Locklyn’s employment agreement required him to pay 50% of his remaining salary upon departure—an amount they calculate as $400,000 based on the prorated terms of his contract, which ran from February 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025. In response, Locklyn maintained that the amount owed was $200,000, consistent with his Ohio State contract, which stipulated the Buckeyes would pay him $200,000 toward his Oregon buyout. Locklyn sent a personal check for that amount on May 28, 2024, a payment he and his legal team say fulfills his contractual obligation.
However, Oregon declined to accept the payment as full satisfaction of the buyout and returned the check on July 29. In their lawsuit, Oregon is now seeking the full $400,000 plus 9% interest, arguing that Locklyn has not met the terms of his contract and is being “unjustly enriched” by the shortfall.
Locklyn’s legal team is firmly contesting Oregon’s interpretation of the agreement. “Coach Locklyn lawfully terminated his employment agreement with the University of Oregon and promptly delivered a check fully satisfying any possible obligation under the buy-out provision,” said John Berg, an attorney with Littler Mendelson P.C. “The University declined the check, and now asserts an untenable interpretation of the agreement. We welcome the opportunity to present the facts to a judge and are confident the litigation will be resolved to Coach Locklyn’s satisfaction.”
Despite the legal wrangling, Locklyn’s impact on the field for Ohio State in 2024 was undeniable. Though the Buckeyes fell to Oregon in the regular season, they delivered a decisive 41–21 victory over the Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl on their way to securing the national championship. Under Locklyn’s leadership, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins each eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards, marking only the third time in program history two Ohio State running backs reached that milestone in the same season.
While Oregon has moved on by hiring Ra’Shaad Samples to fill the vacancy—paying $180,000 toward his buyout at Arizona State—Ohio State fans are celebrating the success Locklyn has helped bring to Columbus. Legal matters aside, his on-field results speak volumes, and Buckeye Nation stands firmly behind him as the case plays out.
