Ryan Day confident Buckeyes will reload after winning National Title
Ohio State Coach Ryan Day glances down at his playbook during a timeout against Iowa Saturday October 22, 2022 at Ohio Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
LAS VEGAS — Although the Buckeyes are coming off a National Championship campaign, and will have several holes to fill, their head coach is expecting the wheels to keep rolling.
Very few programs can recover after losing both Coordinators, and 14 players to the 2025 NFL Draft, but Ohio State never has to rebuild under Ryan Day’s leadership. After all, he’s a recruiting monster, who utilizes the transfer portal, plus the Buckeyes have a winning culture and deep pockets for NIL.
Day knows the Big Ten like the back of his hand, so the revolving door of assistant coaches and players doesn’t effect the team’s progress. It’s hard to argue against that, when Day has posted 11-plus victories in each of the past four seasons. It just so happens that the Buckeyes will have a huge target on their backs for being the reigning National Champs. That’s nothing new to Day though, because he anticipates the opposition’s best everytime they clash on the gridiron.
Regardless, Ohio State lost a veteran quarterback, its’ two top rushers and eight starters on defense. The naysayers believe Day has his work cut out for him filling a bunch of voids, but there are plenty of reasons why he’s embracing what comes with the territory. After all, the Buckeyes return the nation’s best wideout, and safety in Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs. There’s also enough four and five-star talent on the roster to encourage any coach. Despite winning it all earlier this year, the players appear to be hungrier than ever before to do it again.
“We’re looking to attack and win a championship with this team,” Day said. “That started in the offseason, and it’s continuing through July, and I think we’ve had a great offseason.”
On offense Ohio State is replacing Chip Kelly, who left to for the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a no-brainer for Day to promote Wide Receivers Coach Brian Hartline to Offensive Coordinator. The former Buckeye has been an assistant since 2018, and worked his way up the hierarchy. Not to mention Ohio State’s wide receiver room has been elite for quite some time, so Day anticipates a smooth transition under Hartline’s leadership.
“Chip brought in his own ideas, but we tried to keep the offense the offense, and that was one of the things that he and I sat down and talked about on the front end that this is going to be the Ohio State offense,” he said. “There are certain things that you like to do that we’re going to embrace, and he made a few changes in the numbering system, how he identified things, that we’ve carried that over into this year.”
Day is still unsure of how the quarterback competition will play out approaching fall camp, but admires work ethic from the contenders. Redshirt freshman Julian Sayin, and third-year sophomore Lincoln Kienholz appear to be the front-runners, and Day appreciates the value they’re bringing to the offense. Sayin completed 17 of his 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown in the spring game. Meanwhile Kienholz threw for 158 yards and two scores. Day knows the competition between the two will go deep into fall camp, which starts in a week.
“It’s hard to make any progress unless you’re actually on the field playing football, but I think both guys have gotten stronger,” the 46-year old said. “They’ve been throwing with the wide receivers, and I ask those guys all the time, and they like both of them, so we’re going to put them in as many competitive situations as we possibly can to figure out who handles that the best.”
Whoever wins the job will have Smith to throw to, along with All-Big Ten tight end Max Klare. Ohio State will also be operating with a new backfield with All-Big Ten rushers Quinshon Judkins, and TreVeyon Henderson no longer around. Protection will be vital too, and the big boys up front have to gel together after losing two first rounders. That unit has never been a liability under Day’s watch though.
The Buckeyes are returning an All-Big Ten caliber defender at every level of the defense. North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson is an elite edge rusher, who’ll anchor the defensive line. Atkinson led the Tar Heels in tackles for loss and sacks in 2024. Linebacker Sonny Styles is a former five-star prospect that earned All-Big Ten honors last season, and was Ohio State’s second-leading tackler. Downs is arguably the best defensive back in College football, and bound for greatness. Which is why new Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia shouldn’t have to make many adjustments.
Having that type of returning experience, production and leadership on both sides of the ball is enough for Day to have high hopes for his seventh season in Columbus. Everyone is eager to get fall camp underway with the season-opener against Texas looming. Anticipation from the fans will be through the roof, and the last thing Day wants to do is disappoint. Last season’s success is in the rearview mirror, but a dynasty could be brewing and Day is eager to start the new journey.
“We’ve said it before, we’re not defending national champions because we’re not defending anything, and they can’t take the trophy away.”
