Ryan Day calls Devin Brown 'viable' as a backup if Kyle McCord is hurt

Ohio State has been dealing with some injuries at the quarterback position, including starter Kyle McCord battling through an injured ankle. Luckily, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is confident in Devin Brown as a backup quarterback.

While Day is confident in Brown’s ability, it’s also been important to get him healthy. Now, while both quarterbacks have been banged up, Day emphasized that both of the team’s quarterbacks are in good shape.

“He’s viable, for sure,” Ryan Day said. “He’s close to getting back to 100 percent but he’s had a full week of practice here. So, that’s been great and we’re gonna need him here down the stretch. You never know how it’s all gonna shake out. So, the more guys we get back the better we’re gonna be.”

Over the off-season, there was a quarterback competition between Brown and McCord. Ultimately, McCord won that competition but it was never because Brown lacked the talent to potentially win it. He was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Ryan Day has even found ways to try and get Devin Brown into games for the Buckeyes, primarily through a run-first package that he suffered his own injury in during the Penn State game that forced him to miss time.

To this point in the season, Devin Brown has played in five games. He’s completed 12 of 22 pass attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 35 yards and a score on the ground.

Ohio State is hoping that it doesn’t come down to Devin Brown being that viable quarterback in place of Kyle McCord, though. Ryan Day added that the ankle can be a big issue, but that he’s getting better now.

This week, the Buckeyes will host Michigan State.

Ryan Day on Ohio State being ranked No. 1

For the first two weeks of the College Football Playoff Rankings, Ohio State has been the top-ranked team in the country. For now, though, Ryan Day knows that ranking means absolutely nothing.

“I think you have so many guys on our team that have just kind of been through all this before, and they know it means absolutely nothing,” Day said.

“Their goal is to win the whole thing and to be the No. 1 team at the end of the year. We want to win them all, and that’s all that matters. At the end, they’ll rank us. But we’re just going to try and win them all, and it continues this Saturday.”