Ohio State offensive linemen huddle up prior to the Buckeyes’ second day of fall practice. Credit: Samuel Cipriani | Asst. Sports Editor
After a long summer break, the Buckeyes have officially kicked off their football season.
Ohio State held its first two days of fall football camp Thursday and Friday morning, opening with two-hour practices that were followed by press conferences with head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Day said even though only two days have passed at fall camp, the Buckeyes coaching staff knows every training session counts, as they all add up to better prepare Ohio State for late-season challenges.
“Every year you have to rebuild,” Day said. “There’s bricks in the foundation, and you won’t know how strong that foundation is until the storms come and the big games come down the road. We may even have four top-ten matchups back-to-back-to-back.”
One of the biggest, lingering questions for this Buckeye squad is how the offensive line will perform. Day said the group still has room to grow as a unit, though multiple returning starters such as offensive tackle Josh Simmons have impressed with their efforts in the offseason.
“Josh Simmons can do some things that most can’t,” Day said. “He’s very skilled and talented, and we feel like the offseason was a difference maker for him. Time will tell, but I think he’s positioned himself with a good summer to be the best version of himself, and to think about where he was a year from now, we’re light-years away from that.”
Transfer graduate quarterback Will Howard and junior quarterback Devin Brown appear to be the top candidates to take reins of the offense, with freshmen quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Air Noland showing promise as well.
Day said the quarterbacks have appeared much more physically fit in the opening days of fall camp, with communication between the gunslingers and offensive linemen improving drastically over the summer.
“I thought [the quarterback room] looked more fit, I think they look stronger and I think they moved better than in the spring,” Day said. “They just look like they’ve had three or four months of work on their bodies. The ball had more pace today, and I thought they had a better understanding of the offense being out there for the first day.”
Freshman Jeremiah Smith continued to impress through the first two days of fall camp, earning high praise from Knowles, who said the wide receiver has not only practiced well against one of the best secondaries in the country, but also displays maturity off the field.
“He’s shown right away that he can handle anything you throw at him,” Knowles said. “If you put him in a one on one situation and even against our best, you kinda hold your breath, but he makes [defensive] guys better.”
Graduate linebacker Cody Simon is a safe bet to start at Mike linebacker after getting significant time backing up former Buckeye linebacker Tommy Eichenberg last season. The Will linebacker spot is still up for grabs, with juniors Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks being frontrunners to occupy the position. Knowles complimented both backers and highlighted their potential.
“C.J. has some demonstrated talent; we saw it in the spring making plays when he’s on the attack,” Knowles said. “I think Sonny can do that too, so we’re developing more of those opportunities for that position because we think we have the guys to do it.”
Knowles said he hopes to have a deep rotation within the defensive tackle position. The group will be led by senior defensive tackles Ty Hamilton and Tyeik Williams, both of whom are expected to retain their starting positions from last season.
Knowles also mentioned sophomore defensive tackle Kayden McDonald as a player who could see significant time on the field in 2024.
“You gotta keep an eye on Kayden McDonald, he’s a real force and that’s another guy I think would be ready to play,” Knowles said. “I feel like we have at least the pair and the spare right now and we’ll see what comes in.”
Knowles said throughout the first few days of fall camp, Ohio State’s coaches have been preaching the basics while simultaneously communicating the team’s high expectations.
“The important point to get across to our guys is, like Vince Lombardi once said, ‘We have to chase perfection,’” Knowles said. “It’s impossible, but you catch excellence in the process and you can never be satisfied with just being good.”
Wednesday afternoon, graduate linebacker Kourt Williams II announced his retirement from the game of football via Instagram, stating that he had four knee surgeries and three shoulder surgeries throughout his football career.
Notably, Day spoke on the retirement of Williams II for the first time since the linebacker’s announcement Wednesday.
“He was one of the first guys in the building and earned a leadership role on the team, but was just decimated with injuries,” Day said. “Even though he didn’t get a chance to play on the field as much, he did have a great leadership role, similar to Kam Babb. A lot of the guys are going to miss him.”
