Ryan Day spoke to the media Tuesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
Ohio State returned to the field Tuesday for its sixth spring practice, but this version of the Buckeyes looks far different than years past.
With a roster featuring 51 new faces, the most in head coach Ryan Day’s eight-year tenure, he addressed the media Tuesday to discuss how the Buckeyes are using spring practice to familiarize themselves with each other and evaluate their talent.
“No, we don’t have an identity yet,” Day said. “It’s one of the challenges and one of the goals we have this spring.”
Here are news and notes from Day’s press conference.
The 51-man influx: A new approach to practice
With 51 new players in camp, Day said the sheer volume of personnel has forced the coaching staff to be more creative in how it utilizes the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Instead of a traditional spring setup, Ohio State has shifted to a dual-field system that mirrors a professional preseason camp, allowing for more reps and evaluation across the roster.
“In the past, there were times you didn’t have enough guys at certain positions,” Day said. “Now we have the ability to get a lot of reps across the board.”
With the influx of new faces, Day said the Buckeyes believe this group has the potential to be deeper than teams in recent years.
While the added depth provides flexibility, Day emphasized that playing time will still be earned.
“I want players to be on the field that deserve to play,” he said.
Meshing minds: The Arthur Smith influence
When former offensive coordinator Brian Hartline left to take the head coaching job at USF, Day had a choice.
The offensive-minded coach could have kept things in-house, promoting an up-and-coming assistant as he once did with Hartline, or he could bring in a fresh perspective.
He chose the latter, hiring former Steelers offensive coordinator and longtime NFL coach Arthur Smith.
With Smith’s arrival comes a shift in philosophy, one Day said he is working to blend with his own.
“There’s a myriad of ways to do things,” Day said. “I wanted to have an open mind to what [Smith] saw about the offense and mesh those things together.”
For Day, the foundation of the offense starts with balance, something he believes is critical against a schedule that will demand consistency late in games.
“He believes in running the football, play-action and being able to win in the fourth quarter,” Day said. “That’s going to be important for us this season.”
That mindset also extends beyond scheme and into decision-making, where Day stressed that adaptability and execution will ultimately define success.
“Ultimately, it comes down to efficiency and how we execute,” Day said. “There’s a lot of different ways to do it, but that’s what it comes down to.”
As those ideas take shape this spring, Day said the goal is not to reinvent the offense, but to refine it.
“We’re looking at everything and figuring out what we can be great at,” Day said. “Once we identify that, that’s what we’re going to lean on.”
Black stripe alerts for Boyd and Alliegro
The black stripe tradition continues to serve as a barometer for freshman and transfer integration. Two more Buckeyes shed their stripes Tuesday, including freshman receiver Brock Boyd and linebacker Christian Alliegro.
Day said Boyd stood out during the session, making several plays while showing a polished approach to the position.
“This is somebody who knows how to run a route,” Day said. “He’s serious about it and he’s productive.”
