For as much as we miss the drama on the first Wednesday of February for the traditional national signing day in college football, coaches like Ohio State head coach Ryan Day look much more relieved to speak with the media.
The Buckeye boss went to the podium for over an hour, and he spoke on many different subjects, not just his one signee of the day, defensive end, Dominic Kirks.
There were many great questions about what is going on with the Ohio State football program that Day answered, some of them giving great insight on what to expect during the 2024 season and beyond. Find out below my biggest takeaways from what the Ohio State head coach said during his media session.
Day on Bill O’Brien
Ryan Day said Bill O'Brien is working in the Woody today.
Day said he did NOT want to give up play calling duties, and was going to make sure the person who took over was the perfect fit.
TBD if O'Brien leaves to become the head coach at Boston College or remains at Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/xIfdaqPLuf
— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
As we all know, O’Brien has been linked to the Boston College head coaching vacancy, but at the current moment he is still working for the Buckeyes. Day let everyone know that he was in the building, which can be viewed as a very good sign considering the report was that he would be named BC’s newest coach today. A few of the main reasons why he was hired was due to his culture fit, background in the NFL, and experience in quarterback development.
Day on the portal
Seth McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State because of its championship pedigree. pic.twitter.com/q2UTA6LFTW
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 30, 2024
Takeaways
As we have seen, Ohio State has been fairly picky with who they add via the portal and Day explained that if there is a need, he was going to fill it. The fact that running back Chip Trayanum and quarterback Kyle McCord left the program showed clear needs to fill those positions which was accomplished by Quinshon Judkins and Will Howard. Day also went on to say that the current players like Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock helped bring in some of the portal players.
Day also explained that he didn’t just go out and get those portal additions without communicating to his positional rooms that it could happen. The transparency surely helped with the current players understanding others could be brought in.
Day on the quarterback competition
Asked about Will Howard, Ryan Day said he thinks it’s important that the defense has to account for the quarterback as a running threat. And he thinks every quarterback on the roster can provide that for Ohio State this year.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) February 7, 2024
Takeaways
He didn’t name a starter, but said that there will be a competition in the spring, so expect one to be named after the spring game. Day wants all of the quarterbacks to get reps in that time period, claiming that they all need to be developed. He did single out Devin Brown, saying that he has the most experience of the group in the Buckeye offense. Howard is earning the respect of his teammates through winter conditioning, which should be viewed as a good sign for him to grab the job.
Day on Quinshon Judkins addition
Ryan Day: When RB Quinshon Judkins entered the portal, they had a talk w/ TreVeyon Henderson and Tre said if it helps the team, he was on board w/ the decision. Judkins also said he wanted to play w/ Tre.
— Andy Evans (@AndysWired) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
As noted before, the communication with the current players played a big part in this, and TreVeyon Henderson was just fine with Judkins being added to the room. Day went on to say that Henderson showed leadership by not being against the move and that he has a “different look in his eyes.”
Day on the potential for an NFL-type season
Ryan Day presser mentioned the RB's. Said this is going to be a long season..NFL type of schedule potentially with a 12 team playoff. Day talking Dallan Hayden and all the backs saying there will be a lot of carries to go around.
— jbook™ (@jbook37) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
As the College Football Playoff is set to expand, the idea that depth has to be created a played a big part in the portal additions. Specifically at running back, Day noted that there will be “lots of carries to go around,” mentioning getting time for Dallan Hayden, who redshirted this past season. It makes a ton of sense to do this, as injuries and ineffective play will be paramount in navigating this new CFP landscape.
Day on the multiple players returning for another season
There were a lot of draft-eligible Buckeyes following the 2023 season. Yet, just about every single one of them stayed.
"It wasn't for anything other than their teammates, coaches and culture. That kind of set the tone for all of it, then we started to fill in the pieces." pic.twitter.com/ACTM7L3OCn
— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) February 7, 2024
Takeaways
It wasn’t unprecedented to see that many players return, and all of them will play a big part in achieving the goals for the 2024 season. Day mentioned that “to me, that’s the real story,” as they came back with the goal of unfinished business. Marvin Harrison Jr. even thought about returning, but Day understood why he left. The character showed by the players who returned was impressive, and they “want to leave a good legacy.”
Day on Caleb Downs
Ryan Day hinted at the possibility of Caleb Downs getting some snaps on offense 👀. pic.twitter.com/Gz0RbqOxDa
— The Scarlet and Gray Podcast (@TheSG_Podcast) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
Downs was the crown jewel of the transfer cycle, but Day didn’t say he’d be given the starting role immediately, that he has to earn it. His “talent is exceptional” and the secondary room embraced his addition. As we all thought, Downs has the potential to return punts, and Day also mentioned the possibility of him getting an opportunity to get some carries on offense as well.
Day on the December schedule
Ryan Day: said December is now a nightmare w/ the transfer portal being open and preparing for a bowl game. Have to have contingency plans in place but also need to be transparent and they've now found that right mesh of each other.
— Andy Evans (@AndysWired) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
In a word Day called December a “nightmare”, as there is so much going on. The early signing period, bowl prep, recruiting on the road, and the transfer portal all happen during the month. It does seem like Day has it under control, given how well they did in most areas. He mentioned having contingency plans for December, and it looked like the Buckeyes did.
Day on the offensive line
Ryan Day says on offensive line "we have enough right now with the guys in the building to go win a national championship." @nbc4i
— Whitney Harding (@WhitneyNBC4) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
The last time we saw Ohio State football on the field, the offensive line struggled mightily against Missouri. That clearly was an area that needed to be addressed, doing so by adding transfer center Seth McLaughlin. Day knows this group is paramount, saying “we have enough to win a title.” He mentioned that Josh Fryar could move from tackle to guard, and that the spring will be big for Luke Montgomery and Tegra Tshabola. Day also hinted that there could be an addition to the room in the spring transfer portal period.
Day on giving up play calling
From the way he described his approach to the offseason to relinquishing play-calling duties, Ryan Day is changing in so many ways this offseason.
It's all geared toward winning. Ohio State fans, this change is certainly a good thing.
COLUMN: https://t.co/ShSrBi6PrF pic.twitter.com/QbH9MZuCm8
— Spencer Holbrook (@SpencerHolbrook) February 7, 2024
Takeaway
It takes a good coach to understand when something isn’t working. It takes a better coach to go out and make adjustments when it may not be exactly what they want to do. Day falls in both categories, as clearly the addition of O’Brien solves some of these issues. He has been reluctant to give up play calling duties, but said that they needed the right person for him to do so, which he has found. Day knows “it’s the right thing to do,” even if he hasn’t fully given it up yet.
Understanding that he needs to be more of a CEO of the program is part of his decision, as he can “see things from a wider lens.” The different perspective will help him in the long run. Day also mentioned that as this past season went on, he knew a change in this department had to be made.
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