Ohio State head coach Ryan Day walks onto the field before the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin Dec. 7. Ohio State won 34-21. Credit: Cori Wade | Assistant Photo Editor
It’s been more than a month since Ohio State football’s spring practice was canceled for 2020.
If not for the COVID-19 outbreak, the Buckeyes would have played their Spring Game Saturday and emerged from a quiet period to an evaluation period on the recruiting side of operations.
The time has long passed for head coach Ryan Day and the staff to dwell on normal procedures, however. Recent conference calls now hone in on the 2020 season and how to evolve with the times.
“We’re doing the best we can to maximize today, because tomorrow we’re not sure what’s gonna happen,” Day said. “We’re good at that. I think our staff is doing an excellent job. We have unbelievable communication with our players.”
The recruiting trail is one area that hasn’t stopped for the Buckeyes. Ohio State landed its fifth top 50 prospect for the class of 2021 Wednesday in four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, the No. 8 recruit from the state of Florida. The Buckeyes now hold 289.96 points in the team recruiting rankings, well ahead of second-place Clemson’s 220.73.
Another wheel that keeps turning is player development, as Day and position coaches continue to meet with athletes on Zoom for instruction.
“What I’ve found is that as much as you think you’re gonna have a lot of free time, it really isn’t that free,” Day said. “There’s just a lot of calls to be made. You’re on the phone a lot.”
Wednesday provided Day with his first opportunity to discuss graduate transfer running back Trey Sermon, a senior and former Oklahoma rusher with more than 2,000 yards in his collegiate career whom the Buckeyes added from the transfer portal.
Sermon will contend for the starting role at running back with redshirt sophomore Master Teague, a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2019. Teague has been nursing an Achilles injury, and, coupled with sophomore Marcus Crowley’s injury, the Buckeyes were down to just one scholarship runner this spring.
Sermon was officially added to Ohio State’s 2020 roster Wednesday.
“When Trey became available, [we] did a lot of research, made a lot of calls. The people at Oklahoma had such great things to say about him,” Day said. “We played against him [in 2017]. We saw what he could do on the field. He’s a really good player.”
Day has also been receiving a number of calls relating to the 2020 NFL Draft.
While defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah both project as top 10 picks, the months leading up to the draft are typically vital for lower-rated prospects to improve their stock.
Ohio State players such as running back J.K. Dobbins, cornerback Damon Arnette, safety Jordan Fuller and wide receiver K.J. Hill, among others, could have moved up on some teams’ boards had it not been for the cancellation of Ohio State’s Pro Day and other workouts due to COVID-19.
Day and his staff are spending a lot more time on the phone with NFL personnel to discuss the pros and cons of his former players, the coach said.
“[We’re] just fielding a lot more questions about the guys since they don’t have Pro Days and they’re not able to spend as much time with them in person,” Day said.
With the unknown timeline surrounding COVID-19, there is still the possibility of an altered, delayed or even canceled college football season.
Day said there are a lot of smart people, both inside and outside of college football, whom he trusts to come up with a solution once more becomes known.
“The best thing to do is keep talking this thing through and keep everything as up to date as possible,” Day said. “Once some decisions are made and we get a better feel for where this is going, then we can make some quick decisions.”
