In the same week the Buckeyes lost a commitment from quarterback Brock Glenn, OSU hosted then-Washington commit Kienholz and his family on an official visit on Nov. 26 for the Michigan game in what turned out to be one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the Buckeyes’ season.
While the end result of Michigan’s 45-23 victory over OSU was miserable for Day, anyone wearing a scarlet and gray uniform and the fans alike, that weekend confirmed to the Buckeyes what they already knew: Kienholz was the quarterback they had to sign in the 2023 class.
“He came here, saw the environment and was like, ‘I want this.’ And that's a huge part of it,” Day said when Ohio State signed Kienholz on Dec. 21. “This isn't for everybody. Being the starting quarterback for Ohio State is not for everybody. It's got some unbelievable things, but there's a lot of things that come with it. He kind of looked at it and was like, ‘This is what I want.’ That was important. I liked his makeup. I thought (quarterbacks coach) Corey Dennis really did a great job building a relationship with he and his mom … he was like, ‘Oh, I'll go in that room. I'll compete against anybody. Let's go.’ That's awesome. And that's something that I think we're excited about and looking forward to getting to work with him.”