Ryan Day on the standard former Ohio State QBs have set for future players at the position: "We should be Heisman Trophy finalists and first-round draft picks," he said. "Anytime you're gonna be the quarterback at Ohio State, there is gonna be a lot of pressure."
“It’s a good problem if you have a couple guys that you feel like you could put into a game to go play,” Day said of the quarterback situation. McCord and Brown will split first-team reps to begin camp.
As Ohio State opens training camp, QB competition between McCord and Brown continues https://t.co/9TA7cFaJnX— BuckeyeXtra.com (@BuckeyeXtra) August 3, 2023
“Those guys have to believe in the quarterback.” https://t.co/qE8qEyptfO— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) August 4, 2023
Ryan Day says the quarterback competition has been “back and forth" through the first week of camp, but he expects “more clarity on where we're going” over the next week. https://t.co/8t0DkviQLu— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 10, 2023
On the quarterback competition between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown: “It’s a good battle. It’s back and forth, for sure.” He said it’s a much closer competition than when C.J. Stroud won the starting job two years ago.
Day said he doesn’t know if he will be ready to name a starting quarterback by next week, but he expects to have some clarity by then.
QB battle is fascinating. Kyle McCord and Devin Brown - who wears 33 in honor of… wait for it… Sammy Baugh (!) - duking it out at QB.Impossible to separate based on what we saw today. Reps split perfectly evenly. Both had some really good moments pic.twitter.com/7wHqBx9Vzf— Dave Revsine (@BTNDaveRevsine) August 11, 2023
QUARTERBACK BATTLE REMAINS TIGHT One sequence Friday served as the perfect microcosm of Ohio State’s quarterback competition. With the Buckeyes split into two teams for some full-squad work, Devin Brown aired a beautiful deep ball downfield for a long completion to Jayden Ballard over Ryan Turner, one of his best throws of the day. Almost immediately following that play, Kyle McCord sensed pressure coming from the edge, climbed in the pocket and slung a gorgeous deep ball while off-balance that would have caught Julian Fleming in stride if not for a great play by Denzel Burke to break it up. The neck-and-neck nature of McCord and Brown’s battle isn’t just conveyed in the words of Day. It’s showing up on the practice field. “It’s a good battle. It’s back and forth for sure,” Day said Wednesday. McCord’s pocket presence is a trait that stood out during the team’s training session. He was able to maneuver to multiple different spots behind his offensive line to elude rushers and find Ballard for a big gain on a crossing route one play. Pretty soon thereafter, Brown found his own big gain on a crossing route to Emeka Egbuka. Brown showed his edge in athleticism, rattling off a couple of nice runs, though McCord found solid gains on scrambles of his own. No indication as to a leader was given in how they were deployed Friday, either. Brown worked behind the first-team offensive line during the first set of split-team periods in Friday’s practice, but it was McCord with the first-string blockers during the second set of split-team periods that ended practice. Eight days into camp, the battle between the two quarterbacks remains very close. Their best chance yet for one of them to gain separation could come during the team’s scrimmage Saturday, which Day emphasized the importance of earlier in the week. “This week is a defining week for us for sure, and I think coming out of the weekend, we'll have more of an idea of where we're at,” Day said.
Ryan Day said he wishes “somebody had really emerged” at quarterback by now, but he hasn’t seen enough consistency from either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown yet to name a starter. https://t.co/qHzWkHLauU— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 14, 2023
Ryan Day Doesn't Need Extraordinary, Just Consistency At Quarterback https://t.co/jt9rFMdJcY— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) August 15, 2023
“You’d like a significant gap to name a starter (at quarterback) for sure ... I appreciate their competitiveness, they’re going at it right now.” Day said the team will have to decide this week whether the quarterback competition will be decided by the end of the week or continue into the Indiana game.
Quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Devin Brown both had their ups and downs Saturday, Day said, leading the team down the field on some drives and showing flashes. “I keep going back to the fact that there doesn’t need to be extraordinary play. It’s making the routine plays and taking care of the football.” A strong running game will help the new starting quarterback settle in, Day said. “You have to be able to run the football when you get in the red zone, on third down. It sets up the play action pass.”
Wednesday would have been the day to name a starting quarterback in C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields’ competitions, Day said, but the team isn’t there yet. More on the quarterback competition: “It’s not like they’re blowing it out of the water ... but it’s not like they’re not doing well either.” Day added that he’s continually asking what they’re seeing on the defense and trying to develop leadership with them. On how much he’s instructing both quarterbacks: “This is the only time I’m not talking with them.”
CJ gives his thoughts on the Ohio State QB room pic.twitter.com/Zz1xLNC1an— Menace 2 Sports (@Menace2Sports) August 17, 2023
Ryan Day says Ohio State’s coaching staff is “almost split right down the middle” on Kyle McCord vs. Devin Brown and that “both deserve to play at this point.” https://t.co/nMWSyqfIRs— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 21, 2023
Still no quarterback decision yet for Ryan Day and the #Buckeyes. "There's not one that's won the job. There's not one that's lost the job." He emphasized that he and the Ohio State staff are confident in both Kyle McCord and Devin Brown.