5 takeaways from National Signing Day

Dec. 21—COLUMBUS — With most of the hay in the barn, Ryan Day assessed his 2024 recruiting class as “really good moving forward.”

That is the state of college football these days when there are technically two national signing days, two transfer portal windows and the ever-present shadow of players being able to be paid for their reputations.

“There were some pieces we felt like we needed to get coming out of this,” Day said Wednesday. “Did we get everything? Did we get the whole wish list? No, but we got a lot of things covered.

“Now it’s on to the next phase of putting this roster together.”

Here are five takeaways from Day’s last press conference before Christmas and heading to Texas for the Cotton Bowl:

1. Larry Johnson will return as defensive line coach.

Johnson is perhaps the most accomplished defensive line coach in college football history, but after more than four decades in the business, competitors have reportedly started to lure recruits away from Ohio State by telling them Johnson will retire before their careers are complete.

“It’s funny — guys have brought that up over the years in recruiting, but he’s young in terms of his approach every day,” Day said. “He’s got a lot of energy and he wants to continue to coach. The guys in the room love him.

“He’a still got a lot of energy when it comes to coaching, and he has a passion for coaching. His wisdom and experience are the best in the country, and our guys know that and people certainly recognize that in recruiting.”

Day had no update on other potential staff changes.

2. Recruiting is the No. 1 thing he looks for in an assistant coach.

“You’ve got to recruit your position,” Day said. “It’s your job. You’re the head coach at your position. You’ve got to make sure that room is strong year in and year out.

“The second thing is how they how they perform on the…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-football-5-takeaways-021400663.html

Author : Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Publish date : 2023-12-22 02:14:00

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