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It’s good to be on top. The Buckeyes are riding high after capturing their second College Football Playoff national championship of the era — Ryan Day’s first as head coach. While many stars from last year’s squad have moved on to Sunday football, few programs reload like Ohio State. Despite all the turnover, they’re still a playoff lock for next season.
Spring practice is here as temperatures rise across the country. The Buckeyes won’t hold a traditional spring game this year, but they’ve got plenty of work to do if they want to repeat. They’re breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball, searching for their next quarterback, and keeping the recruiting machine humming.
Let’s dive into some updates on the defending champs during this college football offseason lull. We’ve got an NFL legend’s son potentially headed to Columbus, Day’s thoughts on the Matt Patricia hire, and a peek at the quarterback competition that will dominate headlines until fall.
NFL Royalty’s Son on Ohio State’s Radar
On today’s episode of “feeling incredibly old,” the Buckeyes are heavily pursuing Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten’s son for their 2027 recruiting class. Cooper Witten is making spring visits across the country, including a trip to Columbus on March 21. He’s already rated as a four-star recruit and the top safety in the 247Sports Composite.
Cooper hails from Texas, where his father became one of the NFL’s greatest tight ends. Jason played his college ball at Tennessee — potentially the team to beat in this recruitment — though he actually made a bigger impact in the pros than during his SEC days.
The Buckeyes have a strong track record landing players with famous bloodlines. Marvin Harrison Jr.’s father starred at Syracuse before his Hall of Fame NFL career. Jeremiah Smith’s cousin played quarterback at West Virginia before becoming Chip Kelly’s starter at his new program.
This recruitment is worth watching, though it’s still very early.
Day “Feels Really Good” About Patricia Hire
With spring ball approaching, Ryan Day met with reporters last week to address several key topics. Chief among them was his decision to hire Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator.
Patricia’s head coaching stint with the Detroit Lions was disastrous, but he was a crucial piece of Bill Belichick’s championship machine in New England.
“We were very thorough about how we went about the process,” Day said, calling Patricia “the right fit” for the job. He explained the defense will look different from Jim Knowles’ system but won’t be a complete departure. Day emphasized Patricia’s NFL experience as a major asset for what Ohio State wants to accomplish.
Despite Patricia facing a sexual assault allegation from 1996, Day stressed he “feels really good about the hire” after a thorough vetting process. Replacing Knowles was never going to be simple. One challenge: Patricia hasn’t coached at the college level since his early days at Syracuse in the early 2000s.
Quarterback Battle Wide Open Heading Into Spring
Now for what you’ve all been waiting for. Day didn’t reveal much about the brewing quarterback competition between Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair, but he did provide some context.
“They’re young. We need them to be tough. We need them to be a leader,” Day said. “Long way to go on it. Don’t have any evaluation on it now. Gonna be a big spring for those guys.”
The key takeaway is that each quarterback will get plenty of reps to showcase their abilities in Brian Hartline’s offense. Sayin brings the most raw talent. Kienholz has spent the most time in the program. St. Clair is a promising local freshman.
I actually love this situation for Ohio State. While I initially doubted St. Clair would get a fair shot given his inexperience, Day pointedly mentioned that none of these quarterbacks has significant playing time. Sayin might eventually win out, but whoever demonstrates the best command of the offense will lead the Buckeyes in Week 1.
Even if one quarterback separates from the pack, expect Ohio State to keep things close to the vest to prevent potential transfers.
