COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before beginning to plan out scheme and strategy, utilizing the different ideas from the minds of the new voices in his coaching room, Ryan Day had to make sure he knew what he had.
In the first meeting with each of his new coaches Monday, after weeks of traveling around the country recruiting, the Ohio State head coach broke down the depth chart, looking at numbers, making sure that the numbers add up on offense. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles took a list of defensive players, parsing through, seeing what he had available, where his unit was at.
Ohio State is over the limit as it prepares for the spring. But Day is not worried about it at this point.
“Like we talk about, it’s going to take care of itself just with the way the things go right now in the portal,” Day said. “What I don’t really want to do is be caught without 85 guys. It puts us in a little bit of a tough spot, but we will keep managing it, trying to figure it out as we go.”
The Ohio State head coach confirmed the return of three defensive players to start off his first offseason press conference of 2022 Monday: sixth-year defensive tackle Jerron Cage, sixth-year linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV and fifth-year linebacker Teradja Mitchell.
Day also said cornerback Sevyn Banks will not be returning for another season for the Buckeyes, saying he will speak to Banks and his family tomorrow.
There’s been a slew of changes.
Ohio State has seen a number of players leave through the transfer portal: quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Jack Miller III, defensive end Darrion Henry-Young, linebackers Dallas Gant and K’Vaughan Pope, cornerback Ryan Watts and safety Craig Young; while the Buckeyes have seen more leave to pursue the next level: wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, running back Master Teague III, tight end Jeremy Ruckert, offensive linemen Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere, defensive linemen Haskell Garrett, Antwuan Jackson and Tyreke Smith and Banks, Marcus Williamson and Demario McCall at cornerback.
But with those 19 moves, Ohio State has matched it with a 21-person 2022 recruiting class and two transfers, leaving the Buckeyes with 92 players bidding for 85 scholarships, leaving the Buckeyes seven players above the scholarship limit heading into the spring.
Day reiterated the idea of having 41 offensive players, 41 defensive players and three special teams specialists on scholarship, adding up exactly to 85.
As Ohio State begins its preparation for spring football, the Buckeyes have 40 players on scholarship for offense, including 2022 offensive guard/center Carson Hinzman, who is set to sign Wednesday; 49 scholarship players on defense, including 2022 defensive end Omari Abor, who is set to sign Wednesday; and three special teams specialists.
As for the outlook of the offense and the defense, one decision has seemingly been made.
Day confirmed Monday that former tight end Cade Stover would be moving to the linebacker position this spring after, what he called, a good performance in the Rose Bowl.
With that and the return of Mitch Rossi to the room, Ohio State will have five tight ends, right on target with what Day wants for the position.
Changes have been made, and changes will have to be made by the time fall camp begins.
Day knows he has to get to 85, but it’s not something he’s very worried about.
“We’ll just keep monitoring it and work through the spring,” he said.
