Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day Opens Up About Buckeyes' Offseason

It's rare to hear a coach open up about the state of his program in a legit, honest way, but Ohio State fans were blessed with some insight on Friday afternoon.

Buckeyes' head coach Ryan Day went on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus and peeled the curtain back a little bit on his Ohio State team.

Day started the conversation by trying to sneak in significant news regarding the state of his offensive backfield.

He revealed that Ohio State will miss its top two running backs, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, for the entirety of spring ball due to shoulder surgeries. This is massive news for the two young backs because, like it or not, spring ball is very important for the development of young players.

Ultimately, these two rising sophomores will be okay, as they combined for 238 carries for 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns. Jackson did most of the work, eclipsing 1,000 yards after not being the feature back for the first three games. West came on strong at the end of the year, but those two basically missing a majority of the offseason is significant.

However, help might already be in the building.

Freshman Legend Bey, listed as an athlete, has already caught the attention of his head coach. Day described him as both "dynamite" and "a poor man's Tyreek Hill."

Yes, a poor man's Tyreek Hill. 

That's quite the compliment for the young future star, especially for a roster that is going to require production on offense to kick off the season.

The wide receiver room has taken a step back from what it has been in past years, the running back room is missing its two top guys, and the tight ends are largely new to the program. In addition to the playmakers, the offensive line has questions, and the quarterback needs to prove that he can show up against the best competition in 2026.

Hearing something positive out of Buckeyes' camp is a good thing, and hearing it directly from the head coach resonates with the fanbase.

Ohio State is going to need some under-the-radar players to step up in a significant way as the season begins. Their schedule is ridiculously hard, and they will need guys at their peak from week two on. 

Luckily, it sounds like they are going to have a new weapon in Bey, but the running back position as a whole is a storyline to monitor all offseason.

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