Football: Offseason upDAYtes

Lauryn Luderman
Thu, 08 Feb 2024 02:53:20 +0000
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Head coach Ryan Day paces the sidelines during No. 3 Ohio State’s 37-17 win over Maryland at Ohio Stadium Oct. 7.
Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

It’s been 41 days since Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day has spoken to the media.?

Over this period, the Buckeyes have added six players from the transfer portal and lost nine in addition to the 10 players who decided to leave Ohio State ahead of its Dec. 29, 2023, Cotton Bowl appearance. Additionally, a new offensive coordinator has been hired, and 12 of its 22 starters are returning — huge news for the Buckeyes.?

On Tuesday, for the first time in 2024, Day held a press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to address all of the changes made so far this offseason.

Here are the updates.

Bill O’Brien, staying or leaving?

Less than three weeks after his Jan. 19 hiring as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, rumors have been swirling on social media that Bill O’Brien may leave to become the next head coach at Boston College.?

Day said there is “no update” on O’Brien’s future, but he’s with the team now.?

“Hopefully, we don’t have to go down that road,” Day said. “But if we do, we’ll adapt.”

O’Brien has an extensive 34-year coaching stint scattered between college and the NFL. He has experience in the Big Ten as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, and professional expertise as the former Houston Texans head coach. O’Brien has also been in the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks role at Alabama and with the New England Patriots.?

Day said Ohio State strives for greatness, and O’Brien’s background and personality is a great fit for the culture Day has built. Additionally, Day said he has confidence O’Brien can handle offensive play calling — something Day has done since he became head coach — while he takes a step back to look at the game through a larger lens.

“It has to be the right person, and I felt like after spending a bunch of time on it, Bill was that right guy for that right spot,” Day said.?

Those who stay will be champions (Buckeyes version)

Emeka Egbuka. TreVeyon Henderson. J.T. Tuimoloau. Jack Sawyer. Denzel Burke.?

Those are the names of just a few returning players who, arguably, could have been selected in the first few rounds of the 2024 NFL draft.??

“These are all really high-end players who decided they wanted to come back and it wasn’t for anything other than their teammates, their coaches, the culture and that kind of set the tone,” Day said.?

Day said he believes the abundance of returning starters was a major green flag for solidifying highly ranked prospects out of the transfer portal, such as freshman safety Caleb Downs from Alabama and former Ole Miss running back, sophomore Quinshon Judkins. Both were the No. 1 players in their respective position groups, according to 247 Sports.??

Additionally, Day said they have unfinished business. This includes beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten championship and vying for and ultimately winning the first 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship next season.?

“It’s hard when you work so hard towards your goals and you come up short to just walk away from it,” Day said. “You want to leave here with something in your pocket — something you’re proud of, and I think that’s what’s reverberating through the building right now.”

Like Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud’s “dream teams” in 2020-21 and 2022, respectively, Day said heading into next season he feels like he has that “championship roster.”?

Five scholarship QBs, now what?

On Jan. 4, four-star transfer quarterback Will Howard of Kansas State made the decision to become a Buckeye. He joined sophomore Devin Brown and freshman Lincoln Kienholz in the room.?

However, that’s not all. Early enrollee Air Noland, the No. 7 quarterback in the class of 2024, signed with Ohio State Dec. 20, 2023, and has already arrived in Columbus. On Jan. 21, Julian Sayin — the No. 3 quarterback in the class of 2024 and a five-star prospect — decided to make a move to join the Buckeyes from Alabama.?

Now with five capable quarterbacks, some with more experience than others, Day said this spring will be the most fierce competition yet.?

“It’s good, I think it’s healthy,” Day said. “We say this all the time in recruiting, if you don’t want to compete, Ohio State’s probably not the right place for you.”?

Day said they will focus heavily on team and seven-on-seven drills to get each quarterback the most practice reps possible. Experience aside, no front-runner for the starting job can be named at this time.