Ryan Day explains how Ohio State will approach the transfer portal

Ryan Day is embracing change. On Sunday, the Ohio State head coach discussed how his team plans on approaching the transfer portal this offseason.

“It’s inevitable,” Day said. “Early on, it was use it when you need to. But, the way things are now, I just think, year in and year out, the majority of teams are going to see turnover. We’ll have guys enter the portal. There’ll be a lot of guys in the portal starting tomorrow. You have to construct your roster on a yearly basis, and that’s what we’re gonna do.

“It’s no longer one of those things. Are you going to use the portal or not? That’s part of college football. We are going to make sure that we’re doing a great job of identifying the right people that fit the program because there’s a lot of pride in that locker room.”

Day’s press conference was on Sunday. On Monday morning, Ohio State saw five players enter the transfer portal, including starting quarterback Kyle McCord. Now, Day has no option but to hit the portal.

Ohio State found mild success in the portal last year. The program added 10 players while losing 12. However, its additions were mainly improvements. Specifically, the Buckeyes lost only one former four-star prospect while adding four.

Ryan Day weighs in on players who decide to leave

Of course, Day doesn’t want to see his program lose players. Nonetheless, he understands players’ motive to find a change of scenery.

“Part of it is numbers. Other part is where we feel like we are depth wise,” Day said. “There are certain guys who get to a certain point in their career where maybe they don’t see an opportunity to get on the field because of what’s in front of them. Their best option is to maybe see what’s out there for them to go get on the field and I totally get it. Our guys are competitive and so some of them will have that opportunity.

“You just have to be as clear as you can on the front end of it to make sure you’re identifying that when you come to Ohio State, here’s what you can expect. So that when they get here, there’s no miscommunication or confusion. I think we’ve done a great job of that, but there’s gonna be guys who decide that maybe there’s an other better option for them.”

For now, Ohio State will simply focus on making its program look like an enticing destination. On Dec. 29, the Buckeyes will face off against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.