Preseason camp is underway at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Ohio State logged its first practice on Thursday as it ramps up to a marquee opponent to open the season in Texas. Afterward, Ryan Day spoke to the media about his squad's summer development, a few standouts from the first day and myriad other topics.
It was the first chance for the Buckeyes to get late-summer reps for Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz as they battle to start at quarterback, though Day said he's four or five days from having an idea of where both are. For the team, Day emphasized again that the 2025 squad wants to build its own legacy, and that legacy is to be the first repeat national champions in school history.
- On the quarterbacks: "I think all three of them look a little bit stronger, a little more explosive. ... We'll have a better feel here, give me about four or five days."
- Day said there are no updates on Eddrick Houston after he suffered an injury during practice.
- On the first day of practice: "I thought there was good energy. ... There's no way to supplement experience and reps. ... We were getting 48 plays in one period by splitting up the work."
- On avoiding complacency after his first national championship: "When you spend your career on a vision of what you want and a goal, once you accomplishment, there was a feeling of accomplishment but then it's on to the next thing. ... They want to have their own identity, but they also want to be the first team ever to win back-to-back national championships at Ohio State."
- Transfer tackle Ethan Onianwa received a lot of support from his teammates when recognized at the team's champions night recently, Day said. "I've been very encouraged by the mindset of this team, some of the leadership that these guys have taken on."
- On what he's looking for from his quarterbacks: "You want command of the offense. ... You want everybody to believe in you ... then taking care of the football, making the routine plays routinely. ... And make great decisions."
- Beau Atkinson has stood out to Day for his mentality since arriving from North Carolina at defensive end, but added that Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Caden Curry and C.J. Hicks have stepped up as leaders. "Coming into Ohio State, he wants to prove himself. ... His teammates have really rallied around him."
- On Lincoln Kienholz's multi-sport background: "There's not many quarterbacks from South Dakota. ... Any time you can play multiple sports, it's important. ... I think all those things help."
- On Will Howard and if he changed the way Day evaluates quarterbacks: "I think every time you have a quarterback, you learn a little more. ... I would say Will's extraordinary trait physically was his size ... but his other extraordinary trait was his leadership style. ... But no two quarterbacks are the same, so it's maximizing those guys."
- Day expects to rotate wide receivers as the year goes on. "I think throughout the season you'll definitely see that. Week 1, we'll see. ... We're gonna decide who gives us the best chance to win that game. But as the season goes on, we'll want to build some depth."
- On Austin Siereveld: "Austin was an Iron Buckeye and he had a tremendous offseason, but he's taken all the strides you need to solidify yourself as a starter."
- Day doesn't plan to make the quarterbacks live again in preseason camp. But he does expect daily development from all three of Sayin, Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair.
- On the difference of preparing for such a huge game in Week 1: "It affects things a lot. You know in that first game, you can't be quote-unquote learning on the job. ... Penalties, assignments, all those things we've got to be on top of. ... You can recover from it ... but at the same time, a game like this matters in a big way."
