Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says Offensive Line Rotation Set to Return in 2025, Nick McLarty Competing With Joe McGuire For Punting Job

Ryan Day named Julian Sayin the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, as many reading this will have already heard, but rotations are getting solidified at other positions, too. Ohio State showed a willingness to break a football convention by rotating on its offensive line during the College Football Playoff and Day hinted that the Buckeyes plan to do the same in 2025 as “six or seven” slobs have emerged that are starter quality.

A battle has emerged at punter, where incumbent starter Joe McGuire is trying to hold off the big boot of second-year Nick McLarty. Jaylen McClain and Malik Hartford are both safeties Ohio State feels comfortable starting, Day said, though he didn’t specify who would be the first-team strong safety.

Above all else, the message to all of Day’s new starters is clear: “Just win, baby.”

Following Day’s time, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia took the lectern to give more details on McClain and Hartford’s competition, Caleb Downs’ “incredible” football savviness and the versatility of his linebacker corps. Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline wrapped up the trio of press conferences with thoughts on his first game as a play-caller and his wide receivers.

Ryan Day

• Day said in his opening that he won’t be commenting about Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal.
• Day named Julian Sayin Ohio State’s starting quarterback. “Julian Sayin will be the starting quarterback against Texas. It was a close competition. … I think Julian separated himself, really, over the last week with his consistent play.”
• On what made the difference for Sayin: “You’re always looking for consistency and taking care of the football. … You see there was a lot of growth made. You look at the numbers and the production, we feel like he’s in a situation where he’s ready to go play this game.”
• Day emphasized that Lincoln Kienholz needs to be ready to play. “He knows in his heart he’s gonna play this year. … He’s a competitor … but I wouldn’t say he’s discouraged. He had a good practice today, he had good energy. … It’s a long season.”
• On what he learned about Sayin throughout the process: “Smart, poise, has good composure. Can see it. Has good timing. Has really built command and confidence as time has gone on. You see the traits, you see the ball coming out of his hand accurately.”
• Sonny Styles’ “ability to stand in front of his teammates and say hard things” won him Ohio State’s “Block O” jersey, Day said. “It was unanimous. … To come here early, grew and just got more and more indoctrinated into the program and certainly this program means a lot to his family.”
• Day says Ohio State will rotate some on the offensive line again as it did in the College Football Playoff. “There are six or seven guys that we feel comfortable with getting in on the offensive line. … At running back, we feel comfortable that we can get into the game. … Tight end is probably the deepest we’ve been, probably feel comfortable with four or five guys.”
• On what Day’s seen different in Larry Johnson’s approach, replacing four new starters on the defensive line: “It’s been a great challenge for that room, for Larry, and I think you’re seeing growth there. … I think we’re going to get great feedback across the team coming out of this first game of where we are.”
• On Tavien St. Clair: “I think he knows what his deficiencies are right now … he knows he can be the quarterback of the future … he has the tools but right now he’s the clear third (QB on the depth chart).”
• On Max Klare: “Really talented. Explosive when the ball is in his hands. … Going through a training camp and a fall at Ohio State was different for him. … Excited to see him play on Saturday.”
• Day said “both” Nick McLarty and Joe McGuire could punt in games for Ohio State. He’s been impressed with McLarty’s improvement this preseason camp.
• On how his time at Ohio State has influenced how he evaluates quarterbacks: “We obviously want someone who can pass the ball and has innate accuracy. When you go from there, guys have unique skillsets. … They’re all different styles, but what they all shared in common is they were accurate throwing the ball. … We can tailor (our offense) based on what they can do.”
• Asked if Kienholz’s athleticism could find use in a specialty offensive package: “Sure.”
• On what it’s like developing a quarterback from his freshman year to be a starter: “It’s an, at times, frustrating process but it is rewarding. … Along the way, they don’t know what they don’t know, you try to counsel them the best you can. It’s like raising a son. … When you come in and you’re a recruit here, you have to realize what’s gonna come with it. The good and the bad.”
• Day said the Buckeyes have a starting five on the offensive line but wouldn’t specify which five they were yet. He added there are “two or three” more players who will work in.
• One position he did confirm on the front five is that Austin Siereveld will start at left tackle after a massive offseason and preseason surge.
• Both Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain are “ready to play” at safety, Day said.
• On expectations for Sayin in his first start: “Just win, baby. That’s it.”
• Day wants Sayin to play with confidence and “let it rip,” trusting in his training. “The offensive line’s gotta protect him … good news is he’s got a good supporting cast around him. … But you’re gonna hear me like a broken record, you’ve gotta make the routine plays. … The reward for all the preparation and training is you can play with confidence. … All he needs to do is just do what he’s been doing … you just need to be you. You’re going to sink to the level of your training. … So go let it rip.”
• On what Siereveld and Inniss did to become captains: “I think it goes back to Mick in the weight room. … These guys are put into leadership roles. … After spring is over, we revote, some guys are actually taken off and some guys are put on the leadership committee. … All those guys have grown from that, earned the respect of their teammates.” Day added that each of the team’s captains earned trust through consistency and competency.

Matt Patricia

• On preparing for Arch Manning: “Live arm, can push the ball down the field. … I’m sure his uncles and his dad, his grandfather, they pretty much groomed him as a quarterback his entire life.”
• On the competition at safety between Jaylen McClain and Malik Hartford: “Great competition, back and forth. I think both of them have really made great gains. … There are some things communication-wise that are really critical, those guys have done a really good job. … Making plays out on the field.”
• Patricia expects his defense’s comfort level in the scheme to grow throughout the year. “I do think this is a journey. … The big thing with this game in front of us is just making sure that it’s clean … making sure we’re not doing anything to beat ourselves. … You’ll learn a lot on gameday.”
• Sayin’s processing and decision-making stood out to Patricia. “His decision-making. … Being able to handle the tempo of the offense and the huddle, adjustments at the line of scrimmage, we kind of threw a lot of different things at him.”
• On when it makes sense to play Caleb Downs at nickel: “As much as you can get him as close to the ball as possible, he’s really good when he’s around the ball. … He’s such a great communicator, he’s so strong with communicating with the deep guys and the down guys. … His football savviness is just incredible.”
• Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles give Patricia a lot of flexibility in how he deploys his linebackers. “Really versatile players. … In coverage or the run game, they can eat up so much ground and make it difficult in the middle of the field. … You’re just trying to make it as difficult on the offense as possible.”
• On the development of Ohio State’s defensive tackles: “Coach J has done an unbelievable job. … It’s really trying to gel a whole new unit together. … Eddrick (Houston) missed some time there but I think he’s catching up, he’s a talented young player. … He’s progressing at a good level and we’ll see where we are come nine, 10 days from now.”
• Patricia said he’ll take a moment to connect with his 8-year-old self on his first gameday at Ohio State on Aug. 30. “I’m excited for the band. … I love the college atmosphere. … Just understand how lucky I am and how blessed I am to be in that moment, then we’ll put the head down and start to get to work.”
• On the key for making sure new starters perform well against Texas: “One of the things that you try to do early is make sure they’re in a job they know well. … Trying to keep it very clean from that aspect is very important, and try to build a little confidence early in the game.”
• On Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: “I think he’s made great strides … his maturity, the way he approaches the game … and taking a leadership role too. … He works extremely hard. He is so dedicated to trying to be the best version of himself that he can be.”

Brian Hartline

• On what separated Sayin: “He was very consistent, communication was very well done and I really feel like he’s done a great job through camp.”
• More on Sayin: “Command and earning the respect of your peers, and ultimately the locker room always knows. … Building that camaraderie and earning the trust of your peers. … How he works in the offseason, how he worked during camp, everything is (under) such a microscope.”
• On what he’s learned from Day in their years working together: “Even as an intern I was trying to absorb as much as I can. … Everything I do and operate in is in resemblance of him. … Offensive mind, I don’t know if anybody can catch up to him, so I’m just trying to absorb as much as possible. … I don’t want to let him down, let the team down.”
• On what made Brandon Inniss a captain: “I didn’t vote, but I would say that I’m sure it came down to the consistency of how he operates, how he communicates. … He’s been connected with guys since the moment he got here. … Made plays in big moments, and then to carry that into the offseason is probably what earned the respect of his peers.”
• There have been a lot of captains from Ohio State’s receiver room in recent years. “Been blessed with that. I think it comes down to the type of individual. … How you make people feel and how you enhance individuals is a whole other appreciation that 
• Hartline said Carnell Tate quickly embraced the leadership void left by Emeka Egbuka in the receivers room. “Carnell kind of turned the switch on his own. … He grabbed it by the wings and went with it. The way he’s grown and the way he operates now is even way ahead of where he was last year. And he’s always been an old soul.”
• A final decision hasn’t been made whether Hartline will be on the field or in the box yet. “I’ll make anything work.”
• On Klare: “Max, definitely has put in the work. … He wants to be more than just a receiving tight end, so he’s put in the work with Coach Bailey. … They’ve taken him in, he’s pretty comfortable here and now it’s just about continuing to put it on the field.”
• Hartline is eager for his play-calling opportunity. “We (Day and I) work well together, we communicate well together. We won’t get our feelings hurt in any kind of way. But I’m excited for it. … I take it very seriously to provide the right calls, right fits, number counts, everyone’s accounted for. … Hopefully, not one thing is going to go overlooked.”
• On Quincy Porter and the other freshmen: “Quincy did a good job through spring, has to keep building through fall camp. … Phillip Bell is doing a really good job, Dez, Bodpegn Miller is doing a good job, but everyone is on their own path. … They can always do more, always be more … whatever that is. … At this point in my mind, they’re not freshmen anymore.”
• On his biggest areas of growth in the last few years: “The amount of different scheme and perspective that Chip (Kelly) brought in was different. … Chip’s a different kind of personality and it was awesome. … There’s multiple ways to do things. … We’re definitely only as good as the collective. The staff we have is second to none. The strength is because of the staff, not because of any individual. … I’m really excited about how we’ve built this thing. … From communication, to game prep … I’ve learned everything.”