On Thursday, Ohio State’s team took to the practice field for the first time in the fall camp, and urgency has already filled the air. With less than a month before the season starts, many would expect the intensity to rise, and coaches expect higher standards. However, Ryan Day takes a different approach with his quarterbacks, including Julian Sayin. The Ohio State head coach has already forged his QBs through fire.

“Having a quarterback guy as your head coach and your quarterback coach, I mean, it’s very great for my development,” Julian Sayin said on August 5 on NBC Sports. “Somebody who, you know, instills a lot of confidence in me when you know they have such a good pedigree as a coach.”

Before becoming OSU’s head coach, Day spent several years in the NFL and later in Columbus developing QBs. It wasn’t too hard for him, considering he played at New Hampshire as a QB under coach Chip Kelly. His WR coaching at Temple and Boston College, combined with his QB background, gives him rare offensive versatility. Most importantly, Ryan Day always maintains high intensity while working with his QBs.

“He’s very hard on the quarterbacks,” Julian Sayin said. “But you know, we wouldn’t want it any other way. He brings the best out of us, and you look at his track record of what he’s done, and he’s very nice to have in our room.”

Ryan Day has long focused on developing high-percentage execution from his QBs instead of playing hero ball. So, things like protecting the football, throwing on rhythm, and managing plays with changing coverages become important for his QBs. We saw that with C.J. Stroud, who exhibited pure pocket precision and exceptional field reading. Even Will Howard developed elite-level game management and power running rather than those flashy throws.

“Will probably doesn’t get enough credit for all the little things that kept the offense moving,” Day said to the Tribune Chronicle last year. Likewise, Day’s practices focus on just that for his QBs with no room for error.

Ryan Day’s emphasis on obsessive practice standards is a key factor in his success. Where many coaches protect their QBs and limit them in no-contact drills, Ryan Day fields his first-team defense against his QBs to simulate real game speed. Most notably, the OSU head coach has a clear zero-tolerance policy for errors in practices.

Julian Sayin has developed into an elite QB after notching a 77% completion rate in 2025. However, he still has to fit in new OC Arthur Smith’s schemes and become reliable with his legs. Thankfully, according to Ryan Day, Sayin has already “worked really hard” this offseason. He has become more physical and stronger and has adapted proficiently to elite game speeds. All he needs to do is correct some minor things this fall camp.