Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Previews Preseason Camp, Ohio State Quarterbacks Discuss Competition

A bullet-point rundown of everything Day had to say during his camp-opening media availability is below. Ohio State quarterbacks Kyle McCord, Devin Brown and Tristan Gebbia also met with reporters for interview sessions of their own following Day’s press conference, and a bullet-point recap of what each of them had to say can be found below Day’s comments. (Video of each speaker will also be added to this post.)

Ryan Day

• “In an ideal world, you’d love to have somebody emerge after the first week or two (of camp),” Day said of the quarterback competition.
• Day said he doesn’t know if the Big Ten will expand further, but he knows the conference wants to continue to position itself for the future. He’s focused on the upcoming season, not expansion rumors.
• Day said he couldn’t talk about Nigel Glover’s commitment yet because of NCAA rules.
• “They know the system, but now they have to go play,” Day said of McCord and Brown.
• Day said there’s been a big emphasis on competition in summer workouts led by Mickey Marotti.
• Day said everything the quarterbacks do in practice is charted so that they can evaluate the competition analytically.
• Lincoln Kienholz “can really help us” on the scout team as a freshman because of how athletic he is, which will help Ohio State prepare for running quarterbacks. Day said he expects Kienholz to earn the opportunity to play in a game or two this year, too.
• Leadership and who the quarterbacks are as people is a factor in the competition. “The team has to believe in the quarterback.”
• Day said Ohio State will determine over the course of camp whether the Jack position is something that puts players in the best position to be successful.
• Ohio State is at “full strength” entering preseason camp, Day said. “We’re four-deep now in a lot of areas.”
• On the possibility of playing a shorter defensive line rotation this year: “I think the D-line that we have, these guys can handle more volume than maybe in the past.”
• Day said the expectation now is that Ohio State’s quarterback will be a Heisman Trophy finalist and a first-round pick. “But it doesn‘t just happen” – the quarterbacks have to put in the work to make that happen.
• Ohio State’s philosophy on recruiting transfers vs. high school players hasn’t necessarily changed, but there are a lot more players available in the transfer portal now, which has led to Ohio State recruiting transfers more heavily, Day said. But Day said it’s still as important as ever to make sure the players the Buckeyes bring in through the portal are fits for Ohio State.
• The more Brian Hartline shows he is capable of taking on as offensive coordinator, the more Day says he’ll feel comfortable moving around and spending time away from the offense. Regardless of who calls the plays, Day says it’s crucial for him, Hartline and the quarterback to all be on the same page, and Day says it will be a collaborative process.
• Day expects it to be a “very competitive” camp at safety with Lathan Ransom being the only incumbent.
• “It’s a good problem if you have a couple guys that you feel like you could put into a game to go play,” Day said of the quarterback situation.
• McCord and Brown will split first-team reps to begin camp.
• On Denzel Burke: "We are expecting him to have some of his best football this season."

Kyle McCord

• McCord said he thinks it’s more important to focus on the little details and doing the right things every day rather than on the big picture of the quarterback competition.
• On Ryan Day’s history with quarterbacks: “I think his track record obviously speaks for itself.”
• McCord says it’s important to get into the flow of the game and getting the ball into the playmakers’ hands to let them do their thing rather than trying to make big plays every time.
• McCord said he thinks it worked out well that the younger receivers were able to get more reps during the spring, allowing him to build chemistry with them.
• On his spring game performance: “Definitely made some plays, definitely wanted some reads back.” He said that’s all part of the growth process and he worked this offseason with an intent and purpose.
• On Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming: "Those three without a doubt are the best receiving corps in the nation."
• On dealing with the expectations of being an Ohio State quarterback: “No one will ever put higher standards or expectations on myself than I will.”
• On whether he feels like the job is his to win: “I feel the best I have felt going into a camp before ... I’ll be in a good position if I put my best foot forward.”
• McCord says Brian Hartline “sees the game like a quarterback.” He says Day, Hartline, Corey Dennis and Todd Fitch are all aligned in their coaching.
• “It’s no secret that he’s the best, I think, at developing quarterbacks in college football,” McCord said of Day.
• McCord said he thinks he and Brown have brought the best out of each other. “It’s been a really healthy competition.”

Devin Brown

• “I would say I’m a little bit more athletic than Kyle ... but Kyle can make plays with his legs, too.”
• Brown says he’s focused on getting better every day rather than on where he stands right now in the quarterback competition.
• Brown said he was cleared from his finger injury about two weeks into the summer and he’s been able to do everything this summer. He said he started throwing even before he was fully cleared.
• Brown said he needs to execute his assignment on each play rather than forcing things and trying to do too much.
• Brown feels he was able to step up as a leader when he was sidelined with his injury. He said Mickey Marotti has challenged him to become a more vocal leader, and he thinks his teammates have seen that and they trust him.
• “All we‘re worried about is winning games. Nobody really cares who’s gonna play.”
• Brown says he feels like he “grew a lot” this spring even though he was unable to play in the spring game.
• Brown said Gebbia helped him deal with his injury because Gebbia was sidelined for two years with an injury of his own and knows what it’s like to be in that situation.
• Brown says he’s grown both physically and mentally but thinks the mental side has been his biggest area of growth. “I think my mental approach to the game has changed completely.”
• He said he wasn’t upset when he had to get finger surgery because he knew he was going to be back on the field quickly.
• Brown said McCord is a great leader and teammates trust him.
• Brown said he thinks practicing against Ohio State’s defense has made up for the fact that he hasn’t actually thrown a pass in a game yet.
• “Every day’s been the same for us. We’re worried about getting each other better. We’re worried about who’s going to help this team win.”

Tristan Gebbia

• Gebbia says he wants to help the team any way he can no matter where he stands on the depth chart. “What I want more than anything is to be the correct person for whatever job they have for me.”
• On Brown’s injury: “He was back throwing in no time. It was like a hiccup, really.”
• Gebbia said Kienholz has surprised him with how quickly he’s picked up the system and improved. “Guys are already starting to respect him. I’m excited for his future, for sure.”
• Asked about Devin Brown saying Gebbia was “bedridden for two years” with his hamstring injury, Gebbia laughed and said “Yeah, I think he got a little carried away with that one.”
• On McCord and Brown: “I think that they have a lot of similar traits, and then there’s some things that they do a little bit differently.” He thinks McCord has a little more knowledge of the system since he’s been around a year longer, but Brown is catching up while Brown also “has a way of extending plays.”
• "You would think they’ve played a lot of games," Gebbia said of McCord and Brown.
• On Day, Gebbia said it’s stood out to him since arriving at Ohio State “how approachable he is and how much he wants to pour into you.”
• What’s stuck out to him about Ohio State’s players? “This is a blue-chip program, but the guys in here, they’re blue-collar guys.”