Ohio State is already preparing for the upcoming college football season, with head coach Ryan Day focusing on two key areas: finding a new starting quarterback and strengthening his coaching staff.
With Will Howard set to enter the NFL Draft, the Buckeyes must identify their next leader under center.
The primary contenders for the position are Julian Sayin, Tavien St. Clair, and Lincoln Kienholz.
Sayin served as the backup last season, but Day has emphasized that the starting role is far from guaranteed.
“It’ll be a very fierce competition,” Day told the media. “You know, Lincoln and Julian and then Tavien. We’re excited to see those guys compete. We’ll chart everything, and everything will be a competition.”
Day stressed that stepping into the starting role requires a different mindset. “It’s one thing when you’re a backup, it’s another thing when you’re actually running it,” he said.
St. Clair, a freshman, is considered an underdog in the competition, but Day believes his time with the team late last season has given him valuable experience.
“You have to walk different, you gotta move different, you have to practice different,” Day said. “Tavien is just coming in, but Tavien spent two weeks here too, and that was great for our freshmen to see how these guys operate in the last two weeks of the season.”
Meanwhile, Ohio State is also making moves on the coaching front. They secured coach Ryan Day to a long-term deal last week.
The Buckeyes are finalizing a deal to hire former New England Patriots assistant Matt Patricia as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Jim Knowles, who left for Penn State.
Patricia brings extensive NFL experience to the Buckeyes’ coaching staff and is expected to implement a defensive system that builds on the team’s recent success.
With both a quarterback battle and a new defensive leader, Ohio State is shaping up for another pivotal season as they look to defend their national championship.
