There was a new aura about Ryan Day in his first press conference this spring practice.
There was a lighter feel to his responses, something Day acknowledged when asked if he feels less pressure now toward the end of the interview session, noting that he's "definitely" more relaxed to a laugh from the media.
During the portion of practice open to the media, Austin Siereveld worked at left tackle after making multiple starts at guard last year, and Day said that's part of a larger emphasis team-wide on getting players to work at multiple positions with fewer spots on the roster.
The Buckeyes' quarterback competition is underway, but Day said there is no pecking order established yet. He added that Nate Ebner brings credibility and a culture fit as a new quality control coach.
- Day said there's no "pecking order" at quarterback yet. "Right now we're gonna roll those guys like we did last year."
- Ohio State wants to take things a little lighter to start spring practice but will ramp up in intensity over the coming weeks. "We're gonna do spring practice in four weeks, we usually do it in five. ... Today, we wanted to get guys moving around. ... Wednesday we'll do more against each other."
- Coming off its national title win, it was important for Day to have a meeting with the new-look team and lay out what was important coming into 2025. "One of the first things was, reinforce the culture. ... The leaders of this group decided that they wanted to take some of the national championship stuff down in the facility. ... Because this year's team didn't win that championship, last year's team did."
- On the switch between boundary and field responsibilities at safety: "We're gonna look at those positions and see what makes the most sense. ... We're gonna put those guys in the best positions possible. ... We want to have the flexibility to adjust. ... We're gonna look at field, boundary, strong, left, right, all of the above."
- On the hiring of Nate Ebner: "He brings credibility. ... This is a guy who is self-made, as you know, and turned out to have a great career in the NFL. ... Great to have him around."
- On the benefit of having former Ohio State players around: "It just builds culture. ... This is unlike any other place. They've won games, they've lost games, they've grown, they get to tell their story of when they were in those shoes."
- Day said that Siereveld's work at tackle is part of a team-wide emphasis on versatility. "Now that we're going to a roster of 105, we have to have versatility. Guys have to be able to play multiple positions. ... We want to be able to teach guys in dual roles this year, and not just on the offensive line. ... You think about the run we made late in the season and that guys had to play multiple positions. ... If you only have 105 guys to work with and half those guys are freshmen, you have to have players that can play multiple positions."
- Ohio State's national title relieved some pressure from Day's program, he said. "To me, it's the process. You have to trust your process and trust your culture. ... What that last run just solidified for everybody in the building is the process... it gave credit to everything in the building."
- On C.J. Hicks playing defensive end: "He's got a great first step. He's powerful. ... He can really get skinny off the edge."
- Day said Ohio State's coaching staff will let a quarterback know if he's the leader in the clubhouse, as they did in 2018 in the battle between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins. "I think we're pretty transparent when it comes to it, but there's also a lot of football to be played in August. ... We try not to make hasty decisions, we try to make sure we're thorough, but if someone's that much further ahead, they're that much further ahead."
- Preparation is the first step for quarterbacks to show they're ready for a starting job, then comes technical skill and a deeper understanding of the game. "It's easy for people on the outside, family members, friends, mentors, 'Go win the job.' ... To me, it's the process of understanding how to get better. ... A lot of it has to do with their preparation. When a guy walks into the huddle, walks into practice, you can tell if he's prepared or not. ... Then you've gotta learn how to do it ... then you've gotta learn why."
- Day said Ohio State's midyear enrollees have come in and looked like they could play early. "I've been impressed. ... It'd be hard for me to just point one of them out."
- There's a lot of conversation about how to align the defensive backfield in the staff room right now, Day said, and Devin Sanchez is a guy who could get involved if he shows he deserves to play. Day said that there will be moving parts, though.
- On the running back room and James Peoples: "He knows what it looks like, he knows the offense. C.J. has played more but he hasn't been here. ... (Peoples) ran hard. ... We do have some really good options there."
- On transfer portal offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa: "Big E's already changed his body a little bit. ... The guys seemed to embrace (Onianwa and Phillip Daniels). ... He can carry weight, so if we can cut him down we're going to see even more athleticism and bend."
- Day feels new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has done a great job jumping in "He's jumped in with two feet and embraced it. ... We're just getting started, but certainly so far, it's been very positive."
- On if he feels more relaxed off a national championship win: "I'm definitely more relaxed. ... Let's call it like it is. But that doesn't change the approach."
- Day feels it's important for recruits to be on campus during these practices and taking in both the competitive environment and family atmosphere of the program. "Every day you walk on that field, it is a war. You have to compete every single day to win your position. ... I think the second part of it is people and families that want to be part of this culture. ... Please, get around our locker room, get around our players. ... To me, that's it. People just gravitate toward that."
