Summer's heat and winter's cold have held firm the friendship among the coaching staff at Ohio State and Ohio high school football coaches.

During the Ryan Day Radio Show on 97.1 The Fan on Thursday, head coach Ryan Day said high school football coaches have played an incredible role in the success of the program.

“We’re nothing without the lifeblood of Ohio,” Day said. “Great football players come from Ohio. The recruits are coming in stronger than ever."

Ohio State has held an Annual Ohio State Football Coaches Clinic for the past 88 years.

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The 2020 clinic was set for April 9-11 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Ohio State to call an audible. Day said there were various aspects of the clinic held over Zoom.

“We had, I think, over 500 coaches on the call, which was great," Day said. "Heard some really great feedback on that.”

Day credited his relationships with Ohio football coaches for making sure player development is sound prior to when prep students become Buckeyes.

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While the physical talent of the player is a priority, the fit for the student-athlete and their families are what really pushes the player to be their best, according to Day.

“You’re not just recruiting the player; you’re recruiting the family,” Day said. “We call it the ‘sphere of influence.' If we’re not aligned with the parents and the family on what we’re communicating, then the player gets distracted and doesn’t maximize themselves."

The pandemic has presented difficulties for the recruiting process of Ohio State's staff. The Division I Council extended the recruiting dead period through Jan. 1, and Day noted what that means for the program.

“We haven’t had somebody on campus in a long time,” Day said. “We’re going to go a whole year without having recruits on campus, which is very, very difficult.”

Day said his staff has held Zoom, FaceTime and phone calls with prospective recruits in the meantime.

“I think we’ve done a good job of it,” Day said. “Our coaches and [assistant athletic director] Mark Pantoni have done an unbelievable job of staying in communication and doing the best we can with what we have in terms of technology.”

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Because of the delayed start to the Buckeyes season, however, Day has had an opportunity he has not typically had:

He’s gotten to watch his 12-year-old son, RJ, play sixth-grade football.

“He loves it, it’s kind of his life,” Day said. “Typically this time of year I wouldn’t be able to do that."

For those young, prospective football players in middle school who aspire to continue rising through the levels of the game, Day offered some words of advice.

“You have to stick with it, just keep working at it because it doesn’t just happen,” Day said. “Playing football is not something you can do a lot by yourself. You have to practice.”

And practice has been what the Buckeyes have done for several weeks ahead of their season opener on Oct. 24 against Nebraska.

In the midst of it all, Day noted one thing that is shared among coaches and players from the highest level to those just stepping onto the football field for the first time:

“There’s nothing more important than Ohio football around here.”