Eric Boggs
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day emerged from Saturday’s spring game with more clarity than questions, especially when it came to the performance of his quarterbacks. While acknowledging that statistics don’t tell the whole story, Day was generally pleased with what he saw from Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. Sayin finished 17-of-24 for 158 yards and a pair of touchdown, while Kienholz posted a solid 12-of-18 for 175 yards and one score. Most importantly to Day, both quarterbacks demonstrated growth, especially in full 11-on-11 game scenarios—something Day emphasized as essential to developmen
“Julian was in rhythm early on, moved the ball, made some nice throws,” Day said. “Lincoln settled down after the first drive and made some good plays. You could really see the emphasis on the passing game, and this gave us another strong evaluation tool.”
Day reiterated throughout his presser the need for more full-contact reps, lamenting the limited amount of real 11-on-11 football players get throughout the year. “Seven-on-seven is great, but it’s not football,” he said. “You’ve got to have a real pocket, real pressure.”
Among the skill positions, running back James Peoples earned Day’s praise for his maturity and potential, even though Day admitted that it’s tough to gauge true running back performance without live tackling. Freshman Bo Jackson also turned heads as someone who improved notably over the spring.
In the wide receiver room, Mylan Graham stood out with explosive plays and improvements in contested catches—though Day noted that ball security after the catch remains a point of emphasis. Tight end Max LeBlanc showcased his route-running and speed, prompting optimism about the group as a whole and an increased likelihood of more 12-personnel packages in the fall.
Defensively, Day kept things intentionally vanilla during the scrimmage, using just two coverages and one front. Even so, players like Logan George managed to make an impact up front, and Day said the staff will now spend time determining the best way to use him come fall. The depth on the defensive line remains a question, and Day didn’t rule out looking at the portal to address it.
On the offensive line, Day pointed to a solid spring for returning interior linemen like Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Tegra Tshabola. Thanks to NCAA rule changes allowing unlimited coaches, the Buckeyes have added more eyes in the trenches, which Day believes is accelerating development.
Another storyline coming out of the spring was the play-calling debut of offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. While Day stayed off the headset to let Hartline operate solo, he felt the rhythm was there and that the offensive staff was well-organized in game planning. “Nothing’s perfect,” Day said, “but it was a good first step.”
As spring wraps up, Ohio State heads into the summer knowing its margin for error is slim with a tough opening opponent. The team remains young, especially in the second string, but Day believes the competitive edge is there. The challenge now is accelerating growth and turning raw talent into seasoned starters before September.
“We’re talented, but we’ve lost experience,” Day said. “The more we can create game situations in practice, the better. That’s how we’ll be ready.”
