by Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day and his staff have been busy over the last few days, getting the #1 player in the transfer portal, Alabama safety Caleb Downs, and five-star Alabama quarterback Julian Sayin as well as hiring Bill O’Brien to be the new offensive coordinator in Columbus.
Since Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s retirement announcement on Jan. 10, the Crimson Tide’s roster has become a feast for high-major programs looking to poach their players through the transfer portal and with a ridiculous amount NIL money to go along with the fire of previous embarrassment, Day has become the apex predator in the market.
The addition of Downs is the cherry on top of a star-studded side that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has put together for the 2024 season. Last year, in Knowles’ second season with the Buckeyes, Ohio State became known for their high-powered defense and it was their calling card many times when the offense sputtered.
Now, after falling short to Michigan once again, Knowles is going all in. Many members of last year’s defense, such as J.T. Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock, and Lathan Ransom have announced their decision to come back to school for at least one more season, forgoing almost guaranteed opportunities in this year’s NFL Draft. Downs, an All-American as a true freshman last year with the Crimson Tide, will slide into an already jam-packed secondary. It is presumed that Downs will start next to Ransom at safety, with Burke, Hancock, and Davison Igbinosun getting the majority of the reps at cornerback.
The odd man out in all of this seems to be Sonny Styles who will return for his third season in Columbus. Styles played primarily at nickelback this past year as he was unable to crack a full-time spot at the safety position due to the availability of Ransom and Josh Proctor, who has now graduated. Styles is, however, perhaps the most gifted athlete on this talented defensive roster and prior to Downs’ commitment was almost a lock to start next season. The good news is that for Styles to maximize his reps, it is possible that he can make the transition to linebacker next season, which projects to be one of the weaker position groups. He stands in at 6’4” and 230 pounds and already has experience covering tight ends and rushing the passer in his time as nickelback last year.
Speaking of overcrowded position groups, Sayin’s addition to the quarterback room will certainly cause a great deal of turmoil over the next few months. Sayin is the second quarterback that the Buckeyes have added through the portal this offseason, with Will Howard being the other, and he is also the second five-star quarterback that will be a true freshman in Columbus in the fall as he is joined by Air Noland, who has been committed to Ohio State for some time. That doesn’t even account for sophomore Devin Brown and freshman Lincoln Kienholz, who were the two quarterbacks that played in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri in December.
To try to at least somewhat sort out what will happen over the next few months, the safest thing to say is that at least one but probably both of Brown and Kienholz will transfer. With all the new talent coming in, it doesn’t look like there will be a meaningful place for either of them both now and in the future. From there, Howard will be the significant favorite to start next year, as he is a fifth-year senior and has by far the most experience out of any of the other contenders. Again, that is expected given the next guys up haven’t even played a snap of college football yet.
That leads to the question of who will be the starter in 2025: Sayin or Noland? While they are both five-star prospects in the class of 2024, Sayin takes the early advantage as he was ranked higher by most experts. They are also similarly sized, weighing about the same, but Noland perhaps being slightly taller. Skill-wise, however, they are very different players. Noland, a lefty, primarily likes to stay inside the pocket and use his natural arm talent and quick decision making to cut open defenses. He also has shown that he has zero problem taking risks and loves to throw the ball downfield, sometimes putting it a touch too close to harm’s way. Sayin, on the other hand, is much more mobile with his legs, and uses them to give an extra dimension to his game. He is also known for his IQ, and has a great blend of capable and aggressive decision-making that highlights his arm talent along with smart and conscious reactions to limit turnovers.
This battle will continue throughout the next few months, and fans should have all eyes on the spring game, which will be on April 13. That will give us our first look at the newcomers and also insight into the hierarchy inside the mind of Day. From there, who knows what could happen, as either Sayin or Noland could transfer if one of them is favored over the other, or they both could stay through the fall and keep working towards 2025, similar to how it was with Quinn Ewers and Kyle McCord in 2021. Both of them were top-10 quarterbacks in their class and both stayed on through their freshman seasons, with Ewers transferring following the season to start at Texas and McCord eventually becoming the Buckeyes starter last season.
Finally, the Buckeyes hired Bill O’Brien to be their offensive coordinator on Jan. 18, officially ending Day’s time as the play-caller. O’Brien has lots of experience at the highest levels as he was the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots this past season and was the offensive coordinator at Alabama for the previous two years before that. O’Brien was also the head coach at Penn State from 2012-13 and the head coach for the Houston Texans from 2014-20. The move has come at the right time, as Day has been the play-caller since he arrived in Columbus and has come under major scrutiny last season. He struggled to use McCord in the proper way and then was too afraid to throw it with Brown or Kienholz in the Cotton Bowl. While fans aren’t ready to see Day out as head coach (yet), a new face calling the plays should certainly provide a more promising outlook.
