With a fresh crop of new arrivals and two new coaches, the Buckeyes are turning the page to next season.
Ryan Day took to the radio waves on Wednesday – the February national signing day – to discuss the recent additions to the roster and the coaching staff, as well as how the team is preparing for next year.
Here's a sample of what Day had to say.
On Cameron Martinez
- "Cam is actually going to start out doing both sides."
- "I think he's one of the most under-recruited players in the entire country."
- "I'm just telling you, he's got a real chance."
- "It'll be interesting to see, because he really hasn't played anything other than quarterback."
On the wide receivers
- "The receiver group has to have a presence."
- Day said because of the sheer numbers, the freshman receivers have to produce.
- Day said the older guys – Jaylen Harris and Elijjah Gardiner – have to step up, but so do the younger guys like Jameson Williams and Garrett Wilson.
On Zach Harrison
- Day said Zach Harrison was really a contributor by the end of the season.
- "I think he's got a chance to be as good as anyone we've ever had here."
- "Nobody was really sure how long it would take, but he's played at a high level."
On Justin Fields' second season
- "The first time you do it, it's just surviving."
- "The exciting thing for me, is this is the first time I've had a quarterback that's returned as a starter."
- "It's exciting because now we can kind of take the next step."
- "Having a whole season under our belt is exciting."
- "We have so much to go upon ... We're going to throw a lot of stuff at him and see what he can handle."
- "I thought he played some great football down the stretch, but there's so much more there."
On recruiting changing with the transfer portal
- Day said the transfer portal means you have to make sure a prospect is actually a good fit for your program, you can't just convince them to sign and hope it works out.
- "Something I've always believed in is that you treat them the same way as when you recruit them," Day said of when prospects arrive.
- Day said you can't make promises you can't keep, or they'll end up transferring.
On the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin
- "Halftime is what I'll remember most."
- "We just came out of the gates, and I think it was 24-straight points."
- "You find out what you're made of in times of adversity."
- "That game showed us what we were made of."
On finding leadership
- Day said CJ Saunders and Jonathon Cooper were vocal leaders, even if they weren't playing much last year.
- "They gave some unbelievable speeches."
- "This time of year is really big for us in finding out what kind of team we have."
On Kerry Coombs' return
- Day said he knows Kerry Coombs' passion for Ohio State.
- "He's kind of got the NFL itch off him."
- Day said he hopes to have him for a long time.
On if Kerry Coombs will be in the booth or on the field
- "I don't know, but you'll hear him."
- Day said he might be on the field or in the box.
- Day said with the young defensive backs, he might be on the field.
- "We'll let him decide that."
