The Ohio State Buckeyes wrapped up their ninth spring practice today, and things are starting to take shape heading into the final stretch. After the session, Ryan Day was asked which newcomers have been the most consistent so far. Without skipping a beat, he revealed three specific names.

“I do think that there’s a consistent level right now, and it’s not perfect at all, but bringing in Mason Williams and Hunter (Welching) at tight end,” Ryan Day stated. “You know, they’re not perfect at all, but they’re grinding at it, and they’re working at it. And I think those guys at tight end have shown up, especially in the passing game, just seeing them make a lot more plays, maybe, than what we’ve seen in the past.

Hunter Welcing, a sixth-year senior tight end who transferred in from Northwestern, has impressed Ryan Day with how he’s handled the passing game. Last season, Welcing was a workhorse for the Wildcats. He caught 28 receptions for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns. Most Buckeyes fans know him for his game against the Michigan Wolverines, where he racked up 81 yards.

Welcing brings half a decade of Big Ten experience to the locker room. That veteran presence is already translating to the practice field this spring, giving him a legitimate shot at claiming the vacant tight end role by NFL-bound Max Klare.

The second name Day mentioned was Hunter’s biggest competition in the spring, Mason Williams, a redshirt junior who transferred from Ohio University. Day mentioned that the overall production from the tight end unit in the air is noticeably higher than in previous springs, all thanks to Williams’ reliability as a big-bodied pass-catcher.

During his tenure with the Bobcats, the 6-foot-5 tight end was a productive starter. He racked up about 45 career catches for 487 yards and 6 touchdowns in his two seasons there. What Mason has over Hunter is snaps. He played 491 total snaps last year (more snaps in one year than the 5-year vet Hunter) and finished with an impressive 74.0 offensive grade from PFF. He was a Freshman All-American in 2024 and earned Third-team All-MAC honors in 2025. The popular consensus is that he might actually win the starting TE role when everything is said and done.

However, it’s not just the tight ends that have caught Ryan Day’s attention. On the defensive side, Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. has made his presence felt just as quickly. Replacing Caleb Downs is a tall order, but right now, Day believes Earl Little Jr. is the closest thing to it.

Ryan Day on Earl Little Jr.

“Earl has been doing a great job of really communicating there,” Day said of the third player.

It’s not quite a surprise because Earl Little Jr. has been the name on everyone’s lips since day one of spring. Though originally a safety, Little has spent these first nine practices flying around at nickel, working to fill the void left by Lorenzo Styles Jr. He is coming off a monster 2025 season, leading the Seminoles with 76 total tackles and 4 picks.

His season-high of 13 tackles in a game against Virginia last year had Ryan Day take a flyer on him. Little has already had his black stripe removed, which is the ultimate sign of respect in the Ohio State locker room. Mind you, as Ryan Day said, none of them are perfect (though Earl comes closest out of the three).

But all three of them have shown a “consistent level” of play that’s hard to ignore. Since they all joined the program back around January as veterans, they’ve skipped the “learning curve” phase and are already playing like they’ve been in Columbus for years.