Ryan Day issues a "brutal" reality check to Julian Sayin & other QBs ahead of Ohio State's spring practices

Ohio State won't want to rest on its laurels next season. Behind quarterback Will Howard and a strong group of leaders earlier this year, the Buckeyes earned a College Football Playoff national title by going through a brutal gauntlet.

Head coach Ryan Day will oversee a signal-caller battle between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tavien St. Clair this offseason. He told the media Monday that it's very early in the process of figuring out who will operate the attack and throw to standout receiver Jeremiah Smith next fall.

"I'm never happy coming out of the first day," Day said (41:24 onwards). "The first few days of spring practice are always brutal, especially with the quarterbacks because that's what I'm always watching."

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Day said his passers began work without any defenders. Decision-making will be thrown into the mix as practices progress.

"I think it's easy for people on the outside — family members, friends, agents, things like that, mentors — '(to say,) 'Go win the job,'" Day said. "There's so much that comes with winning the job. ... To me, it's the process of understanding how to get better and then continually working. When you make a mistake, you learn from that mistake and you grow quickly. And a lot of it has to do with their preparation.

Day added that learning footwork and release are keys, along with learning why plays are being called in certain situations. Day will also consider ball security and success on important downs and situations.

"The No. 1 job, though, for the quarterback is to be the hardest working guy in the building," Day said. "There shouldn't be any question. ... If it's somebody else, that's a problem. Because they should be the first one in the building and the last one to leave. And then they have to be tough."

Who has the inside track for Ohio State's quarterback job?

Julian Sayin wasn't at Alabama long before Nick Saban retired, prompting him to transfer to Ohio State. Entering his sophomore season, Sayin has the talent to star for the Buckeyes, especially within an offense that surrounds him with high-level pass-catchers.

Sayin was a unanimous five-star prospect and ESPN's top-ranked dual-threat passer. His quick release is a large point of emphasis in hype videos posted this offseason. If he takes over behind center for Ohio State, it's possible he could put up big numbers.