COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State head coach Ryan Day met with the media Tuesday afternoon as the Buckeyes prepare to open the 2026 season against Ball State this Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Day discussed the Buckeyes’ preparation throughout fall camp and what he has seen from his team heading into the season opener. Following Day’s press conference, center Carson Hinzman and safety Earl Little Jr. also met with the media to discuss the upcoming matchup and the start of the 2026 season. Here’s what you need to know from Day, Hinzman and Little ahead of Ohio State’s first game of the season.
Ryan Day
+ Day expects Arthur Smith to make a difference and have an impact on the offense in all areas including efficiency, confidence, and bringing new elements to the offense.
+ On honoring Jim Tressel and Maurice Clarett, Day said the coaching history at Ohio State is significant, and the success Tressel had speaks for itself. But the impact he has made on his players and the state is significant. Clarett is passionate about Ohio State, and what he did as a freshman was unprecedented. Considering the challenges he had and what he went through and what he advocates for now, Clarett is a player Day likes to have around the program. He cares a lot about Ohio State. “I think we all felt him being the bell ringer on the day Tressel was recognized was the right thing to do. We asked him to do it and he wanted to.”
+ On the run game having home-run hitters, Day said they put a lot of work into that and want to see that show up. It’s not just the running backs, but they have seen that in the spring and preseason practices, and now want to see that translate to games.
+ On the trio of veteran offensive linemen, Day said those players are good examples of players who had ups and downs but are now playing their best football. They are seniors, have been in the program for their entire career, and they bleed Scarlet and Gray. “That is significant.” The overall football IQ is high. “Those guys are walking on water right now. They’re rocking off the ball. That has been fun to see and you’re seeing the best of them right now and that’s where the success of this offense starts… with those three up front.”
+ On balancing getting players reps and preparing for Texas, Day said they want to play clean and control procedure, alignment, communication, and play with great fundamentals, be smart post-snap and take care of the football, with no substitution issues. “We are looking for a clean operation.” Next, they want to establish an identity of playing tough, strong, and physical. Day said it is never really about their opponent, but that’s what he wants to see in week one.
+ On the receiver rotation, Day said coming out of the game they will have another data point moving forward. Cortez Hankton and Smith have input but the final decision will come down to Day. “You’re going to see some guys and we will continue to build from there.” The freshman receivers have been able to come in and see the field quickly, and they don’t make mistakes.
+ On Day’s emotions the night before the season opener, Day said he has certain assumptions and they will identify what is accurate and not accurate. “There are things that will come out of it that you are not predicting, but there’s a level of excitement for everybody across the country… to see what you have.”
+ Day said the new field in The ‘Shoe was “Jeremiah [Smith] approved, so it seems to be good so far. “We have gotten a lot of great feedback from the players.”
+ Legend Bey is at running back because they felt it was important for him to learn one position, but they all know when they get the ball to him in space, good things can happen.
+ On Julian Sayin’s growth in camp, Day said his movement, accuracy, speed, understanding of the offense, communication in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage have all improved. The incremental improvements across the board have made the biggest difference. Sayin has taken a big step and wants to leave this season with a lot of hardware and leave a legacy.
+ On his thoughts on Ball State, Day said a lot of teams are different from last year, so nobody really knows about their teams yet. Ball State is well-coached and last year’s team was schematically sound, but there are a lot of new faces there as well. Day said he has a lot of respect for their coaching staff and program.
+ “I know one thing for sure, the identity of the team including the offense is how hard they play, how tough they are, and how they execute at a high level.”
+ The backup quarterbacks, Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey will continue to split reps with the 2s. Day added that if both players can get game reps this Saturday, the coaches will try to make that happen.
+ The linebacker unit will roll a lot on Saturday. “That’s a good group. That’s a solid group.” Day added that what they need from the linebackers is good communication and he knows James Laurinaitis has been emphasizing that.
Carson Hinzman
+ On the right guard position, Hinzman joked that he doesn’t want to get fined. “Whoever they put there, we will be fine.” If Austin Siereveld is at right guard, hypothetically, that’s a lot of experience in the middle and that is a great advantage for them.
+ The ability of the offensive line to handle movement will be important. They struggled with that at the end of last year.
+ Hinzman said the turf in Ohio Stadium is “real turf” and it feels like grass.
+ On what he has seen from the running backs, Hinzman said “they are phenomenal and have all the talent in the world.” The group is fun to watch and it’s fun for him to block for players who like to run hard.
+ On playing center for three different quarterbacks and playing with Sayin, Hinzman said it’s different being older than the quarterback and he and Sayin have a great “little-big brother relationship” and great dialogue at the line of scrimmage. “We want to make sure Jules [Sayin] is on the safe side of every situation.” Sayin has taken command of the offense and that is confidence-boosting for everyone on the team.
+ The offensive line is pumped and Smith has a great mentality and approach that gets them excited. The line as a whole has experienced a lot of football, good and bad, and they want to come out one more time and be at their best and carry that mindset. It is important for them to be men about their work and about their business.
+ Hinzman is excited to face someone other than Ohio State’s defensive line.
Earl Little Jr.
+ On Jaylen McClain, Little Jr. said he gets everyone aligned but also focuses on his own assignment and does that at a high level. He holds everyone accountable and approaches every single day at a high level. Little Jr. said he took a step back to watch and learn from him and see how things are supposed to be done.
+ On playing with Jay Timmons, Little Jr. said as soon as he came in they knew he would make an impact, even though they’ve thrown a lot at him. “I’ve never seen that from a freshman.” Timmons’ mindset is pro-style at a young age and he has an aggressiveness and passion that sets him apart. “He has all the tangibles.”
+ Brandon Inniss is a great teammate. He lifts everyone up at crucial moments, and he’s just a good person.
+ On working with Matt Patricia and what he has gained, Little Jr. said he has gained a ton of knowledge and different tools for his toolbox to allow him to play faster, and understand the keys better. Playing for Patricia had a big impact on him coming to Ohio State. Patricia runs a pro-style defense and is a legend in the NFL.
+ Ball State has a good squad and a good quarterback who can extend plays with his feet. “We got a good sense of what they’re trying to do and how they want to attack us.”
+ The brotherhood and chemistry at Ohio State… is real. It’s a feel and they have that. It’s not common at other places or in his past stops. There have been a lot of players focused on their own journeys but at Ohio State, everyone has one common goal and mindset.
