Ryan Day addresses the media for the first time since the spring at Big Ten Media Day Wednesday in Indianapolis. Credit: Nicholas Molica | Asst. LTV Sports Producer
With just over a month away until kickoff against Indiana, the dawning question, “Who will the next Ohio State quarterback be?” is still nowhere near having an answer, according to head coach Ryan Day.
Kyle McCord and Devin Brown are and will continue to be fighting for the starting position through fall training camp, Day said at Big Ten Media Day Wednesday in Indianapolis.
McCord is a junior veteran of 12 games, meanwhile, Brown is a sophomore and the fifth-rated quarterback in the class of 2022. Both spent a year learning the ins and outs from former quarterback C.J. Stroud.
“You have Devin and Kyle and they both have had really good summers,” head coach Ryan Day said. “Now it’s going to be time to put it on the field. And, you know, we obviously would like for someone to emerge here quickly.”
With training camp beginning Aug. 3, Day said if neither McCord nor Brown emerge as the No. 1 guy, there is a possibility that the offense will switch between quarterbacks come the first game against Indiana Sept. 2 in order to find the best fit for the program.
“We gotta go in and win that first game on the road, so we’re gonna do everything we can and do what’s right for Ohio State,” Day said.
According to BetOnline odds, McCord is the favorite at -500, while Brown’s odds sit at +300 for the chance at the starting job.
The recipe for a successful offense does start with the quarterback, but there’s no use without receivers who can get open and catch the ball. One factor in determining who becomes the starter is the trust between receiver and quarterback.
Marvin Harrison Jr. said he is going to do all he can to be that guy.
“They need to trust me. As a quarterback, sometimes you’re out there and things move fast, but they can trust that 18’s going to get open and he’s going to catch the ball,” Harrison said. “That’s what I just try to do for them and build that trust over time.”
However, for Harrison and McCord, that trust has been there since high school. The pair attended St. Joseph’s Prep School and have history battling on the football field together.
“Moving that high school connection that we had to more of a college/pro level. Being on the same page, where if coverage might change he has to know what I’m doing — same thing goes to Devin, too,” Harrison said.
Between Harrison, junior Emeka Egbuka, senior Julian Fleming and fifth-year tight end Cade Stover, whoever the quarterback is will be surrounded by weapons to throw to.
And with the odds in McCord’s favor, Harrison said as McCord competes for the starting job, he has stepped up and become a leader — something Ohio State looks for and Harrison said is comparable to Stroud.
“If you’re a quarterback, you’re the leader of the team. We all look at you to lead us, ’cause that’s how C.J. was,” Harrison said. “Now that the job is open, he’s stepping more into that role.”
Brown, from Corner Canyon High School, is a year behind McCord and has not had much collegiate experience, but if his high school stats say anything, he is just as capable.
With 7,961 yards and 85 touchdowns over three years, it is not impossible to say the younger will exceed the elder.
Fans didn’t get to see him in the spring due to a finger injury, but Day said he has stepped up in the leadership realm, as well. Day also said training camp — really getting out there and playing — will speak volumes.
“It’s so much different when you run routes on air, you’re going through workouts and then when you’re actually playing football,” Day said. “We’ve gotta go start playing football here and figuring out who the quarterback is going to be.”
