The Ohio State football team, especially in the context of the Julian Sayin narrative, has been a subject of intense interest. Everybody’s been wondering who’s going to be throwing that ball as the 2025 starting quarterback. Before the scrimmage during spring practices, Coach Ryan Day said Lincoln Kienholz and Sayin were neck and neck in the battle for that QB1 position. Sayin stole the show by scoring multiple early touchdowns, impressing Day with his rhythm and leadership on the field.
The 2025 Ohio State Spring Game was a spirited, high-scoring contest in which the Scarlet offense defeated the Gray defense 50-31 before a crowd of more than 40,000 energetic fans at Ohio Stadium on a brisk, 51-degree afternoon. Sayin truly stood out, going 17 of 24 for 175 yards and tossing a lovely 26-yard TD to Max Klare. Conversely, the defensive line, particularly the defensive tackles, had some issues.
With some of the top departures to the NFL, Ohio State’s defensive tackle rotation is a little shallow, and the spring game revealed some holes. Rising defensive tackle Kayden McDonald had some flashes, but the group as a whole couldn’t quite keep the offense in check, surrendering 50 points.
“The only viable option now, Dave, is you’ve got to get that next wave of guys ready to go. There’s no ifs and buts about it because you had an opportunity in the winter window to bring in a defensive tackle. The spring window didn’t do it. Now you’re going to have to rely on your guys,” Jonah Booker says in the Bucknuts 247 sports show.
So, here’s the thing about Ryan Day and the transfer portal this year: it’s kind of surprising how Ohio State didn’t scoop up a ton of portal players during the winter or spring windows. You’d think with so much talent lost to the NFL, Day would be all over grabbing big-name transfers to plug those gaps. The defensive tackle transfer portal choices essentially evaporated, and Ohio State is left in a place where it must get its guys to perform. There isn’t a magic solution from the portal, so it’s up to the players currently on the roster to step their game up.
“That is the only way that this is going to pan out because entering fall camp today, that probably defense’s biggest question mark.” Booker went on, Ohio State’s defensive tackle position is the most uncertain and concerning position on the defense as the team enters fall camp. The defense’s success depends on players developing fast and performing at a high level.
Ryan Day’s tough love
After watching Ohio State’s defensive tackles get exposed in the spring game, you’d think Ryan Day would be scrambling to fill those gaps with portal talent. But rather, he’s holding firm, and that’s where his now-famous five-word warning comes in: “Ohio State is not for everybody.” That’s not a slogan; it’s the essence of how Day’s operating this program, particularly now that college football’s essentially a $20 million-a-year enterprise at schools like OSU.
Day isn’t pursuing every hotshot transfer or doling out money to every player who goes into the portal. He’s made it adamant, if you’re coming to Ohio State, it’s got to be for the right reasons, not because you’re in this for a payday or because you crave some instant playing time. He’s got this “leave no doubt” mindset, and he wants players who are willing to work, bear the pressure, and live up to the nutty expectations of donning that Buckeye jersey. With NIL and the portal having transformed the game, there’s more of an allure to leave a bag for. But Day is not giving in. He’s building up a culture that future athletes and fans would look back on and admire.
Consider Jeremiah Smith, for instance. A true freshman playing in the national championship game, with the entire nation watching and the game on the line, Day dialed up a gutsy go-ball call on third-and-11, and Smith caught a 56-yard bomb that effectively clinched the title. Ohio State demands players who can handle the pressure, the spotlight, and the grind, not just chase the money or easy playing time. It’s about heart, hustle, and stepping up when it counts. If you’re not ready for that, Ohio State probably isn’t the place for you.
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