Head coach Ryan Day at Ohio State’s 2023 Pro Day March 22. Credit: Katie Good | Lantern File Photo
As the 2023-24 college football season comes to a close, the future of the Ohio State football program is coming together.
Wednesday marked the early signing period for 2024 recruits to make their commitments official.
And for head coach Ryan Day, the nerves and jitters were never more apparent than at Wednesday’s press conference at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
This all came after the No. 1 overall recruit, Jeremiah Smith, announced his letter of intent to sign with Ohio State, leading Day to briefly pause and sigh in relief after confirming the news with Jerry Emig, sports information director for Ohio State football.
“Really,” Day said. “Jesus.”
Day announced his pleasure with the current signees — one of the best recruiting classes in his tenure — while also discussing the future of those within the program from staff all the way to players.
Five-for-five
The Buckeyes’ 2024 recruiting class ranked No. 2 in the country, only behind Georgia, the reigning two-time national champions.
So far, they lead all schools, landing five five-star recruits with the brightest of them being Smith, the wide receiver from Hollywood, Florida, who is the highest-rated recruit in the country among all positions.
The 6-foot-3 receiver verbally committed to Ohio State Dec. 14, 2022, but with the fluidity of college sports and flipped commits making waves throughout the country, Smith still had a decision to make between the University of Miami and Ohio State.
Ultimately, he chose to become a Buckeye. While Day beamed with excitement, he didn’t address Smith as they were waiting for his letter of intent to formally arrive.
He did heap high praise on dual five-star quarterback Air Noland who has vehemently expressed his love for Buckeye Nation via social media.
Noland became one of the first recruits to sign on National Signing Day, and despite never taking a snap as a Buckeye, Day has high expectations for the Fairborn, Georgia, native.
“Air Noland is somebody who is special in a lot of different ways,” Day said. “The way he conducts himself, the way he handles himself. And he has very high-end and he’s very athletic. He’s going to be the leader of this team.”
Wide receiver Mylan Graham (New Haven, Indiana), defensive lineman Eddrick Houston (Buford, Georgia) and cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. (Springfield, Ohio) make up the group of five-star recruits.
Staying close to home
To open up the conference, Day alphabetically went through the list of officially signed recruits.
At the time, 18 players signed their letters of intent, with seven coming from the state of Ohio.
One included Scott Jr. who was heavily recruited, getting offers from over 30 programs and multiple Big Ten schools, including Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State.
Day said the team places a heavy emphasis on recruiting players from Ohio as they help lay the foundation in the locker room on what it means to be a Buckeye.
“When you’re from the state of Ohio, the best players play at Ohio State,” Day said. “They know what it means to be a Buckeye in the state of Ohio and the opportunities and what it can mean for them for the rest of their life. And I think Aaron understood that.”
Another big-time name includes four-star prospect Bryce West who hails from the powerhouse Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Day said West possesses a boatload of athleticism as a multisport athlete, participating in both football and running track.
The Buckeyes have secured a number of recruits from the Cleveland area including four-star linebacker Arvell Reese from the 2023 class. Day said he gives much of the credit to Glenville’s head coach Ted Ginn. Sr. for the way he’s developed players into young men.
“You know what you’re getting when you’re getting someone out of Glenville,” Day said.
Starters in the Cotton Bowl?
The College Football Playoffs released its ranking earlier this month.
And with the Buckeyes dropping to No. 7, a big point of contention is whether potential NFL draftees will play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri Dec. 29.
One of the biggest names on the list is wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL draft, according to ESPN’s analyst Mel Kiper.
The status of junior running back TreVeyon Henderson, graduate linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau are also currently unknown.
Day neither confirmed nor denied their decisions but said they’ve all practiced with the team in the weeks leading up to the game. He assured media members there’s a “good group” of players who will take the field at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
“We’re going down there to win the game,” Day said. “And we’ve had a good few weeks of practice. And again, the Cotton Bowl is a great bowl, we have a really good opponent. So, yeah I mean this is a great opportunity.”
Is Larry Johnson retiring?
Much talk has surrounded the tenure of defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
The 71-year-old head coach is in his 10th season with the Buckeyes and has developed stars, from NFL lineman from San Francisco 49ers Chase Young all the way to the Bosa brothers.
However, this season Johnson struggled in recruiting as he landed only two defensive linemen from the 2024 class. However, the Buckeyes snagged the biggest of them all after Houston signed his letter of intent Wednesday afternoon.
Day said Johnson has acquired an unmatched body of work, and families can rest assured that their sons are in the best hands.
“I think that’s where families feel comfortable with that,” Day said. “When they hand their son over to Larry Johnson, they know what they’re getting, you’re going to get someone that’s going to pour into him in all areas.
Day said there are certainly challenges regarding recruits nowadays, but Johnson has done a fine job adapting to the changes. He is still “young” and reinvigorated, so he’ll continue coaching for Ohio State, he said.
“He’s still got a lot of energy when it comes to coaching and he still has a passion for coaching,” Day said. “His experience, his wisdom, is the best in the country. And our guys know that and certainly people recognize that recruiting.”
McCord and Day’s Relationship
After a three-year stint and one year starting, former Buckeye quarterback Kyle McCord entered the transfer portal Dec. 4.
Two weeks later, the junior announced his commitment to Syracuse via Instagram.
Much has been said about the conversation between Day & McCord, particularly his status in remaining the starting quarterback for both the Cotton Bowl and the 2024-25 season.
Day was noncommittal in the press conference, emphasizing the need for the quarterback competition to reconvene during practice. He said he prefers to keep that conversation private, believing it serves no purpose as both parties have parted ways.
However, he believes the junior touched a lot of folks at Ohio State and will continue doing so at Syracuse.
“I think Kyle, you know, we spoke — very well respected here,” Day said. “ We wish him nothing but the best. He played some good football here, spent three years here and made a lot of relationships here. And I think he’s committed to another school now and he’ll do well there. He will.”
