“I mean, the first beer is gonna be good. I can tell you that right now,” Day said Wednesday with a laugh toward the end of his meeting with reporters in Columbus.
The Ohio State head coach took the mic a few minutes after noon Wednesday with 18 players signed to his 2024 recruiting class but two big fish still waiting to jump in the boat — or swim elsewhere.
While talking about recruiting Ohio high school powerhouse Cleveland Glenville, Day got word receiver Jeremiah Smith had reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes during an assembly at his high school in Hollywood, Fla.
Day looked at two different staffers to make sure what he was seeing was real then exhaled before pretending to collapse in relief, drawing laughter throughout the Ohio State team meeting room.
A few minutes later, he paused the press conference to step out of the room and take a phone call.
While he did not say exactly what the purpose of the call was, news broke while he was on it that defensive tackle Eddrick Houston of Buford, Ga., also was following through on his commitment to Ohio State after considering signing with Alabama instead.
“You know, this is signing day, and when you have really good players, it’s going to come down to the wire,” Day said. “That’s how it goes. It’s as competitive an environment as there is in all of sports when you’re trying to go after some of the best players in the country, so it’s just how it goes. But excited we were able to add some big pieces here.”
An explosion in transfer rate, the impact of players being able to be compensated for their reputation and services, changing conference affiliations and the coming 12-team playoff era have all roiled college football in recent years.
Ohio State has still managed to put together top five classes annually, and this looks like no exception even if the final ranking won’t be determined until classes are finalized in the winter.
Smith, a 6-foot-3, 198-pounder from Chaminade-Madonna Prep, is the top-ranked player in the country. He committed over a year ago, but programs continued to recruit him right up to the end, and he made late visits to Florida and Florida State that put fans on edge.
The 6-3, 265-pound Houston is the No. 26 player in 247Sports Composite rankings and the No. 5 defensive end in the country.
“We feel like he’s an impact player from day one,” Day said of Houston. “It was a long process to get to signing day here, but we identified him early as someone who was a difference maker.”
Securing Smith and Houston left Ohio State with a quintet of five-star prospects, a group that also includes cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. of Springfield, receiver Mylan Graham of New Haven, Ind,, and quarterback Air Noland of Fairburn, Ga.
Scott committed to Ohio State in July, and Day credited the work of cornerbacks coach Tim Walton for keeping him home despite strong pushes by Michigan and Oregon.
“It’s very important — you have to win those battles,” Day said. “(Secondary coach) Tim was a big part of it. We all were, but Aaron and his family were awesome. They were great in the process. They’re huge supporters of Aaron.”
He also praised Springfield coach Maurice Douglass and his staff.
“They have a great program, and guys know when you’re from the state of Ohio, the best players play at Ohio State, and they know what it means to be a Buckeye in the state of Ohio and the opportunities and what it can mean for them for the rest of their life. And I think Aaron understood that.”
Scott, Noland and Graham were among 18 players to sign their letter of intent before 10 a.m.
Also joining the fold Wednesday were cornerback Bryce West and tight end Damarion Witten of Cleveland Glenville, running backs James Peoples (San Antonio, Texas), and Sam Williams-Dixon (Pickerington North), defensive backs Garrett Stover (Sunbury Big Walnut), defensive backs Jaylen McClain (West Orange, N.J.), Leroy Roker (Fort Myers, Fla.) and Miles Lockhart (Chandler, Ariz.), offensive linemen Ian Moore (New Palestine, Ind.), Deontae Armstrong (Lakewood St. Edward), Devontae Armstrong (Lakewood St. Edward) and Gabe VanSickle (Coopersville, Mich.), tight end Max LeBlanc (Chattanooga, Tenn.), defensive end Eric Mensah (Stafford, Va.) and linebacker Payton Pierce (Lucas, Texas).
One player who was committed to Ohio State at the start of the day flipped to Oregon instead: Jeremiah McClellan, a four-star receiver from St. Louis.
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