Ryan Day Declares His Departure
Fourteen scholarship players from Ohio State’s 2023 squad have already accessed the transfer site. The Buckeyes had 11 transfer departures in total after both transfer windows of the previous year.
Ryan Day, the head coach of Ohio State in his fifth year, was asked if he was surprised by the increase in transfer departures during his appearance on 97.1 The Fan’s Morning Juice on Thursday.
“Not really,” Day responded. “There were definitely a couple in there with whom we spoke extensively. However, our roster really included more than five years of scholarships after COVID. We won’t quite reach the maximum of 85 full-ride scholarships that Division 1 FBS clubs are allowed to award. Considering who we have coming in, I believe we’ll be over here for a little while into the spring. We’ll have to figure things out. However, there was a moment because of COVID where there was a slight log jam.
“I believe that some of the guys who would have ended up as third string or who might not have considered themselves starters going into the next season were searching for other possibilities,” Day went on. And that’s essentially where college football is at the moment. Very different from earlier times. And those guys are ecstatic about the chance to play elsewhere and go back on the field.
The two Ohio State players who are leaving, running backs Chip Trayanum and Evan Pryor, have already found new homes. Pryor committed to Cincinnati, and Trayanum committed to Kentucky.
So far in this cycle, Trayanum is one of three players with starting potential who have left the program. After all, when TreVeyon Henderson was injured during the regular season, he took over as the lead back for the Buckeyes.
Most notably, starting wide receiver Julian Fleming and quarterback Kyle McCord, both of Ohio State, were both added to the transfer site. Before going through the portal, McCord had an 11-1 record and a 24:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the course of 12 games. In contrast, Fleming has been the Buckeyes’ top perimeter blocker and WR3 for the last two seasons, starting every one of them.
“I think this is a little bit of unknown territory for anybody in college football,” Day responded on 97.1 The Fan on Thursday in response to a question regarding McCord’s exit. “Just the way things are set up, and I think this time of year being in December is probably the most unique—you have a lot going on right now—your season ends and the portal opens, you’re getting ready for the bowl game, guys are deciding whether to declare, and you have high school recruiting.”
Day continued, saying, “It’s our responsibility to make sure we’re educating everyone and then planning for next year.” We believe that the set of guys we have is incredibly good and will return next year. While some of these guys must make difficult decisions, I am confident that we will have a strong roster the following season if some of these extremely gifted players choose to return and we combine them with the young players already in the program as well as the players we are recruiting.
About that “very talented bunch of guys that we feel like are coming back next year,” Day stated that some players at Ohio State are aware that their careers have unfinished business and are unwilling to go on to the next stage until they have accomplished their goals while wearing the scarlet and gray.
Several third-year Buckeyes players who are eligible for the draft spring to mind. A few of them—wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock, defensive end Jack Sawyer, defensive tackle Tylerik Williams, left guard Donovan Jackson, and so on—announced on Tuesday that they will play in the Cotton Bowl on December 29th versus Missouri. However, none of them disclosed their choice for the upcoming season.
However, Day made a suggestion that some Buckeyes may have shared that information among themselves.
“It’s a terrific opportunity to take the lead and say, ‘Hey, I’m going back; who’s coming with me here?’ Some guys have already ventured out. “Let’s go ahead and prepare this for next year,” Day stated on Thursday on 97.1 The Fan.
“There are a lot of individuals in that locker room who see the importance of developing the club today, and we have some fantastic guys there.” And for others, it’s just more sensible to move on and join the NFL. Others, however, wish to return and continue their employment as Buckeyes.
