“We want guys who want to be at Ohio State…If money is the first thing you’re looking for, this isn’t the right place for you.” That was the message from HC Ryan Day in a presser this Tuesday (29th July). In an era where NIL deals and the transfer portal dominate headlines, Day is holding the line on culture and commitment. While other programs scramble to keep rosters intact, Ohio State hasn’t lost a single scholarship player to the portal this year, a rare sign of stability that reflects Day’s championship mindset and the strength of the Buckeyes’ internal culture. And in a program where nothing is handed out, even the coach’s son faces an uphill battle.

Ryan Day’s son RJ Day, at just 16, already holds the school record as an all-time leading passer at St. Francis De Sales High School for throwing 1425 yards and 14 touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds, he’s built like a college QB already. So, of course, the talent’s there. But the question is, will Ryan Day offer his son a spot?

In the August 1 episode of RivalsRecruits, Jeremy Birmingham said, “It’s really about stockpiling the position. It hasn’t changed fundamentally from what Ryan Day has always wanted to do. His goal is to have four scholarship quarterbacks at all time, four quality quarterbacks who can contribute.” And that’s the catch. Day isn’t playing favorites, not even with his son. You’ve got to earn it, and the standards to match at Ohio State are sky high. The roster is already loaded, and the competition? Relentless.

As Jeremy Birmingham put it, “There are no guarantees” in today’s college football landscape. “They were very high on Teddy Gerard, who just committed to Notre Dame.” And even with a QB battle brewing between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. “You go from having Lincoln Kienholz and Julian Sayin and Tavian St. Clair to having the winner in Tavian St. Clair and then Luke Fahey, and then the year after that, whether it’s Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz who wins the job in 2025, and then subsequently, likely in 2026, you only have Tavian St. Clair and Philip Fahey,” Birmingham explained. “You can’t get that for free,” he added.

That’s the harsh truth of QB recruiting now. Ryan Day’s selling point? Come to Columbus, learn from one of the best, and maybe don’t even play, but build a resume strong enough to shine somewhere else. “You’re going to have a really good reputation and a good resume to go start somewhere else,” Birmingham added. So even with promising stats, RJ Days’s path to the Buckeye jersey looks steep.

The harsh reality behind Ohio State’s QB culture

At St. Francis DeSales, there’s no hype needed for RJ Day; His sophomore performance not only earned him Second-Team All District honors but also ranked as the fifth-best single-season yardage total in school history. He’s still got time to cement his name. But somehow, in all that QB talk on the podcast, his name didn’t even come up.

At Ohio State, it doesn’t matter what name’s on the jersey. Ryan Day’s not distributing freebies just because someone was hyped in high school. The guy straight-up said he’s watching way more than arm talent. “You want everybody in that huddle to believe in you,” Day emphasized. “Make routine plays routinely, have command, make great decisions.” Sayin, Kienholz, and even St. Clair aren’t being judged by their high school hype; it’s about showing up and delivering now.

And honestly, it’s a refreshing reminder that this program runs on merit. Day made it clear, “Each competition is a little bit different. If we have to go in with multiple quarterbacks, then that’s probably not a great thing going into Week 1, but you never know. You got to do the best you can to win the game.” “When you stand in there as a quarterback, you want everybody in that huddle to believe in you,” he said. The bottom line? If you’re waiting for someone to play favorites at Ohio State, you’ll be waiting a long time.