Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says Jeremiah Smith is “Bigger, Stronger and Faster,” Quarterback Competition Still a Tight Race at Big Ten Media Days

Ryan Day taking the podium at Big Ten Media Days signifies the start of the true run-up to the Ohio State football season.

Every year, it starts the unyielding somersault toward the first game, with preseason camp on the horizon. With that somersault comes hype for the sophomore season of Jeremiah Smith, and Day added to it on Tuesday by saying his star wide receiver is "bigger, stronger and faster" than a year ago.

Day also touched on Ohio State's quarterback competition, Brian Hartline's progression as an offensive coordinator and his hiring of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Day began by recognizing the work of Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and thanking the Ohio State fanbase.

Day recognized the academic achievements of his team, including last season's perfect APR score.

From the first week of the offseason, Day has seen his 2025 squad work to build a new foundation after losing so many cogs of its 2024 national championship team. "The team that we have currently wants to leave their own legacy behind. ... We're not defending national champions because we aren't defending anything."

On Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles representing the Buckeyes at Big Ten Media Days: "The three guys that we have here are tremendous young men. ... All three guys are a great representation of what it means to be a Buckeye."

In concluding his opening statement, Day said, "It's an honor to be the head coach at Ohio State, and I don't take that lightly."

On the next step for Smith: "He's gotten bigger and stronger and faster than he was last year. ... He just sets such a standard. And you don't need to motivate Jeremiah. ... He may not be an older guy, he may not be vocal in terms of his leadership, but what he does on the field speaks for himself. ... He deserves an opportunity to be here today and that's why he's here."

On the defense and new coordinator Matt Patricia: "I'm very excited about our defense and what we're doing. We wanted to keep continuity there, and that's one of the reasons it took us a very long time in the process, hiring Matt. ... Matt has his own background and things that he likes ... he'll have his changes, but we want to keep the structure of what we've had in the past and keep that going."

On Smith guaranteeing he wouldn't lose to Michigan again: "He's very, very competitive and he's not used to losing. We lost the first game to Oregon and he was angry. ... He expects every single game. He expects to win every drill that he's in. ... When he tells you something, you can believe it."

Day still views Ohio State's quarterback competition as neck and neck. "I think both guys have gotten stronger. ... We're going to put them in as many competitive situations as we possibly can."

On Brian Hartline: "He's grown from a really good player to a really good coach, now the next step in the progression is to become a really good coordinator. ... Maximizing our players, making adjustments in-game. ... Working hand-in-hand with Tyler (Bowen) will be good."

Following his 15-minute televised press conference, Day fielded questions on a wider array of topics during a 45-minute breakout session at one of the stages in Las Vegas.

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