Ryan Day’s son is garnering high praise. RJ Day, the junior quarterback of St. Frances DeSales High School, set a new passing record on Friday. RJ passed for 482 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-29 win over Ashland, winning the playoff opener. The record made him a top contender for the National Athlete of the Week. With RJ Day making headlines, Ryan reacted to his son’s record while also sending a subtle warning.

Ryan Day praised his son for setting a new single-game passing record. The OSU HC admitted RJ’s record is the most coming from the Day family. Day himself never threw a 480 in his career, playing as a high school quarterback in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the 1990s.  However, he warned the junior Day to stay grounded, to focus on the next matchup against Massillon, and not to be distracted by the praise for last week’s record.

“That’s the most that’s ever been thrown in my house. It’s hard for me to say that,” Day said on the Buckeye Roundtable on 97.1 The Fan. “I can say I never threw for 480. I’m proud of him. He loves it. He puts a lot into it. There’s a lot that comes at him. He played great. He really did. Now that game is over with. We have Massillon coming into town. He better not be reading his press clippings.”

The warning from father to son is a blend of pride, perspective, and discipline. As RJ’s DeSales prepares to face Massillon, one of Ohio’s football powerhouses, Day wants his son to focus on the biggest task ahead rather than rest on his laurels.

DeSales, facing the Massillon Tigers, will be the first game between the schools. The game will take place on DeSales’ 6,000-seat Alumni Stadium. RJ will be tested by Massillon LB Ja’Dyn Williams, who is Ryan Day’s Buckeyes target of the 2026 class.

Ryan Day’s Buckeyes haven’t offered RJ Day yet

Despite a stellar performance, RJ Day, a 3-star prospect of the 2027 class, hasn’t received an offer from the Buckeyes. While Ohio State remains silent, the junior quarterback has received 15 scholarship offers, including Bowling Green, Syracuse, Boston College, Purdue, Temple Owls, Charlotte 49ers, Miami RedHawks, Kent State, Akron, and a few other programs. 

When asked about his son’s recruitment, Ryan Day had a subtle response. “I just want to know who’s going to help raise my son… who are the men he’ll be around to help him become not just a better football player, but a better man off the field. Someone who actually cares about him.” Meanwhile, Day has also developed a Heisman Trophy frontrunner in QB Juliyan Sayin.

For now, it is too early for Day Jr., as he still has another full season of high school left. It is evident that RJ has grown physically and improved his game over time. If the 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback continues to break records, he’s more likely to receive big offers in the coming months, better yet, from the Buckeyes, too.