Ryan Day talked about every position group on Ohio State’s 2026 roster, the Buckeyes’ transfer additions and new coaches Arthur Smith and Cortez Hankton on The Ryan Day Show.
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Ryan Day Gives Position-By-Position Breakdown of Ohio State’s 2026 Roster, Discusses Transfer Additions and New Coaches on Radio Show
At the end of a busy month of transfer movement and coaching staff additions, Ohio State coach Ryan Day appeared on the airwaves of 97.1 The Fan on Friday evening for an offseason edition of The Ryan Day Show.
Speaking publicly for the first time in a month following Ohio State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Miami, Day expressed excitement about the roster and coaching staff the Buckeyes have built for the 2026 season.
Over the course of the hourlong show, Day commented on all of Ohio State’s position groups as well as the additions of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton. Below, we’ve compiled all of his most notable comments from the show, sorted by position group and topic.
Quarterbacks
- Day believes Ohio State has the best quarterback in the country coming back with Julian Sayin returning for his second season as Ohio State’s starter. “Julian is going to have a huge offseason. Julian is really going to dive into this thing and take the next step.”
- Tavien St. Clair “is someone that really has to step up for us” now that he’s Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback, Day said. “He's going to have to be right there behind Julian and be ready to go.”
- On transfer quarterback Justyn Martin: “I think he's an interesting guy. He's a good athlete that we need to have depth in that room. And he understands the position. But at the same time, he's not going to take a backseat to anybody.”
Running Backs
- Bo Jackson and Isaiah West will both miss the spring after undergoing shoulder surgeries, but he believes both of them can be three-down backs for Ohio State as sophomores.
- Day thinks Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson has “a lot of talent.”
- Day believes Legend Bey can be a “poor man’s Tyreek Hill … He’s lightning in a bottle.”
Wide Receivers
- On Jeremiah Smith’s return for another season: “The best receiver in college football is back in Columbus, and that's a big deal for all of us. He makes everybody on the field better every day.”
- Day said Brandon Inniss “needs to take the next step for us, and he knows that.”
- The Buckeyes felt they needed to get “older and more experienced” at the Z receiver position, prompting them to bring in UTSA transfer Devin McCuin and LSU transfer Kyle Parker.
- Day said McCuin had some “wow plays” when he watched McCuin play against Texas A&M.
- Phillip Bell has “shown a lot of promise” and is “somebody we think can really help us,” Day said.
- De’zie Jones simulated Malachi Toney on the scout team before the Miami game and “that was the best he looked coming off of his injury,” Day said.
- David Adolph is back for another season, Day confirmed.
- Freshman wide receivers Chris Henry Jr. and Jerquaden Guilford are “really talented,” Day said.
- Day expects freshman wide receiver Brock Boyd to “come in here and compete his tail off.”
- Day said the Buckeyes “want to play with three wide receivers in the game as many times as we can and mix in the tight ends.”
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