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COLUMBUS, Ohio What does it take to be considered the best quarterback developer in college football? Ryan Days track record at Ohio State provides a solid answer.
On the latest episode of Buckeye Talk, co-host Stephen Means made the case for why Day doesnt just belong on any dream coaching staff; he belongs running the quarterback room.
The episodes premise was simple and wildly fun: build your ultimate coaching staff using any of the 138 FBS head coaches currently running programs.
The rules were straightforward you could only use a coach once, and every position had to be filled.
When it came time to slot in a quarterbacks coach, Stephen didnt hesitate for a single second.
I am putting Day here, Means said.
I just think hes a quarterback genius, man.
I mean, look at what he did with J.
T.
Barrett.
Look at what he did with Dwayne Haskins, with Justin Fields and with C.J.
Stroud.
- The best defensive line coach in college football isnt getting enough credit - Ohio State football is adding another legendary coach into the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor - Building the perfect college football coaching staff: Buckeye Talk podcast - These are the 3 most important questions left for Ohio State football to answer this offseason Thats an elite list of quarterbacks who went from promising college players to legitimate NFL commodities.
Each of them ran through Days system, and each of them left better than they arrived.
But heres what separates Day from the rest of the field: its not just that he develops the five-star prospects that any elite program would covet.
Its that he elevates players who werent supposed to be at that level.
He turned Will Howard into an NFL draft pick and a national champion, Means said.
Howard was a Kansas State transfer who wasnt generating draft buzz heading into Columbus.
By the time he left Ohio State, he was holding a national championship trophy and hearing his name called on draft day.
And now, with Julian Sayin under center, the machine keeps humming.
The development pipeline at Ohio State doesnt stall between quarterbacks it barely slows down.
What makes the Buckeye Talk conversation so compelling is the contrast between how the crew views Day as a head coach versus how they view him as a pure football mind.
Stefan Krajisnik made Day his head coach and CEO because of his roster-building and NIL navigation chops.
Andrew Gillis slotted him as offensive coordinator, leaning on his schematic brilliance.
And Means? He went straight to the quarterback room, arguing that the best use of Days singular talent is developing the most important position in the sport.
The debate over where Day fits best on an all-star staff is exactly the kind of football conversation that makes this episode must-listen content.
Because the answer you land on says a lot about how you see modern college football whether you value the CEO model, the play-calling genius or the position-level developer who quietly turns your quarterback room into an NFL pipeline year after year.