Despite winning a national championship, Ryan Day refuses to drop Ohio State’s standard at quarterback

Ohio State's national championship success was a big relief for Ryan Day on the job. The coach had faced significant criticism from the Buckeyes fan base before claiming the title. Ahead of the 2025 season, the coach is refusing to lower the program's standard.

One uncertain area within the team is the quarterback role. Following the departure of Will Howard to the NFL, Ohio State will have to name a new starting quarterback next season. The race for the starting role is already getting intense in the spring practice.

Ryan Day addressed the press on Monday after the Buckeyes opened their spring practice for 2025.

The coach disclosed the expectations he has for the potential starting quarterback. From his words, it's evident the coach is aiming to maintain the standard at the position.

"The No. 1 job for the quarterback is being the hardest-working guy in the building," Day said.

"There shouldn't be any questions, like, if someone says, 'Who's our hardest-working guy?'. It should be the quarterback. If it is somebody else, that's a problem. They should be the first one in the building and the last one to leave.”

Ohio State is coming off a 14-2 (7-2 Big Ten) season which ended with a national championship after beating Notre Dame in the national championship game.

Ryan Day earlier noted that the race for the starting quarterback role will be fierce

Before the spring camp opened on Monday, Ryan Day already had high expectations for the battle to become the starting quarterback. In an interview on Feb. 12, he talked about the three options heading into the spring.

Redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz, redshirt freshman Julian Sayin and incoming freshman Tavien St. Clair are the options in the race for the starting role.

“It’ll be a very fierce competition,” Day told WBNS-TV. “Lincoln and Julian and then, Tavien. We’re excited to see those guys compete. We’ll chart everything and everything will be a competition. I feel like we’re going to need everybody, but I feel like there will be a lot of growth coming out of the spring and an opportunity for these guys to take it and run.

“It’s one thing when you’re a backup. It’s another thing when you’re actually running it. I’ve shared with those guys –especially with Lincoln and Julian, who were there last year– you got a chance to see a guy lead at a high level. This was the conversation leading up to the national championship game.”

With the level of the three quarterback's talent, it's safe to say that Ryan Day's Ohio State is loaded at the position for the upcoming season.