Dwayne Haskins made his first visit to Ohio State when he was just 11 years old, but the impression the school made on him lasted a lifetime. 

“I’m going to college here,” 11-year-old Haskins said. 

Haskins left his mark on Ohio State, shattering program and Big Ten records while accomplishing numerous personal goals while in Columbus. His offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Day, who elevated to the Buckeyes head coach in 2019, recollected on Haskins’ journey through the program. 

“He was 11 years old, walking through this facility and said that, ‘This is what I’m going to do’ — and then did it,” Day said. “I think that’s the legacy he’s going to leave behind to so many other younger people across the country, not just in Buckeye Nation, is that you can set a dream and goal and go achieve, and he did it.” 

Haskins’ sudden death Saturday sent shock waves through the Ohio State program and beyond. Several Ohio State seniors played with the Potomac, Maryland, native and he served as a mentor for multiple younger Buckeyes. 

For Day, Haskins’ passing hit close to home, calling the former quarterback an “older brother” to his son RJ Day. 

“He meant a lot to my family, meant a lot to this program,” Ryan Day said. “He’s going to be sorely missed.” 

Ryan Day said it was difficult to explain to his son after attending a football camp when the two reflected on Haskins’ life and passing.

“I couldn’t quite understand what to think of it all. It just very confusing, sad,” Ryan Day said. “But it makes you hug your loved ones a little bit more and you just understand how fragile life is. Something like this is difficult to explain.”

Haskins etched himself into Ohio State record books in 2018, tossing a program-record 50 touchdowns and 4,831 yards. 

Ryan Day said his favorite game during Haskins’ tenure as a Buckeye came at Maryland Nov. 17, 2018. Then-No. 10 Ohio State outlasted the Terrapins 52-51 in overtime, and Ryan Day said Haskins “was not going to be denied that day” as he threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns while adding three scores on the ground.

“I thought that was the game where he really grew up,” Ryan Day said. “He showed real toughness, which is something that I know he wanted to kind of prove to everybody that he was not just a throwing quarterback because the quarterbacks we had previously with J.T. and Braxton, they were runners and they could also throw the ball. But, I think Dwayne saw himself as a passer who could also run the ball.”

Soon after the news broke of Haskins’ death, a memorial — containing flowers, jerseys and Ohio State gear — was erected by Buckeyes fans at the rotunda gate of Ohio Stadium. 

With the Buckeyes gearing up to play their annual spring game Saturday, Ryan Day said the program plans to have a tribute for the late Buckeye legend. 

“Buckeye Nation meant a lot to Dwayne,” Ryan Day said. “I think having everybody there on Saturday is significant, and we’ll make sure we do things the right way.”

Although Haskins’ life was cut far too short, Ryan Day said he made a lasting impact on everyone around him.

“He left a legacy even at 24 years old,” Ryan Day said. “I think that it says so much about who he was as a person because of that. I just think the outpouring of support shows what type of special person he was.”