Ryan Day addresses Ohio State roster overhaul: ‘You either adapt or you die’
· Yahoo Sports
As Ohio State goes through spring practice, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have more than 50 new players on the roster. That presents a shift for the program as part of the new era in college football with the transfer portal as a key resource.
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Day admitted would have been “nervous” about such a major overhaul a few years ago. But he also summed up the current landscape by drawing parallels to a documentary he recently watched about the dinosaurs.
While on recruiting trips with his son, RJ, Day was able to catch The Dinosaurs from Netflix. It provided a look at how they roamed the Earth more than 250 million years ago and their eventual extinction. But Day also saw a similarity to college football in 2026 and pointed to the “adapt or die” mindset.
“I watched that Netflix documentary on the dinosaurs,” Day told reporters Tuesday. “If you want to feel insignificant, watch that because it talks about how the dinosaurs were on Earth, like, 250 million years ago. Throughout time … the world changed, the climate changed, the Earth changed. Some dinosaurs figured out how to continue to adapt and some died. I guess that’s a little extreme, but I think it’s kind of the way it is in college football. The people who know how to adapt are going to continue to move on and the ones who don’t, they die.
“As frustrating as it all is, as much as we all want to just pull our hair out and throw our hands up and realize that this is all extremely crazy – even being with some of the NFL personnel last Wednesday. When they look at you and say, ‘You are insane to be in college football,’ they’re right. But either you adapt or you die. This is another phase of it is, half of your team is new. They’ve never played a down in football here. And we’re not allowed to lose a game. So we’re going to adapt. We’re not going to die.”
Ryan Day: ‘There’s been relationships built’
Ohio State’s new roster additions come from a blend of high school and transfer portal players. The Buckeyes have brought in 17 players via the portal, led by tight end Hunter Welcing and safety Earl Little Jr. – the Nos. 54 and 55-ranked players, respectfully in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.
Ohio State also brought in the No. 3-ranked high school recruiting class in the nation this past cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Ranking, headlined by Five Star Plus+ wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. He was the No. 10 overall player in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
But Ryan Day said the staff took a calculated approach to all the new faces. Each player has a prior relationship with the program and join a group of returners who know what it’s like to put on the Ohio State uniform.
“This isn’t just a bunch of guys coming in off the street that we don’t know,” Day said. “Obviously, there’s been relationships built. Doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s not just random. I think that’s intentional, but there’s no question that these guys haven’t played for the Buckeyes before. I mentioned it out there, there’s guys in that group right there that have scars here, that have had success here, and there’s a lot of guys that haven’t played one snap here yet. All that comes in, into play this this season.
“We’re not unique to that, though. It’s the same way across the country, and it’s just something that we have to continue to figure out.”