Ryan Day explains his message to recruits that will be at season opener vs Notre Dame

Ohio State is going to have some star power on hand for its season-opening game against Notre Dame this weekend. The Buckeyes are hosting plenty of recruits at The Shoe, and they’ll be on hand for one of the most highly anticipated games on the calendar.

Nine five-star recruits are expected to be in attendance, led by uncommitted EDGEs Keon Keeley and Damon Wilson — the Nos. 11 and 41 recruits in the nation, respectively, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. In fact, Keeley is a former Notre Dame commit, announcing his de-commitment Aug. 17.

Ryan Day’s message won’t necessarily come from him, though. Instead of getting the pitch from Day, they’ll see the product on the field on one of college football’s biggest stages. That’s the selling point on this visit.

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“We’ve had conversations leading up to this game about a lot of our recruits coming to this game and it’s been exciting for them,” Day said. “We are going to have a big number here. I think most of the conversation leading up to the game has been had, the recruiting’s been had. Now, it’s time to go play the game and just allow them the opportunity to see what an atmosphere at Ohio State’s like.

“Playing at Ohio Stadium, top-10 matchup, ESPN game, just the whole atmosphere. Take it all in and then picture themselves being on that field. I think a lot of guys are really excited. We’ve got people flying in from all over the country here to be part of this game. Happy that they’re going to be with us for this one.”

Ryan Day: ‘Every time [recruits] come to visit, it’s a different experience’

Day said all of his attention is going to the matchup against the Fighting Irish, and the recruits’ hospitality is in the hands of the recruiting staff. He might get the chance to chat with them after the game, but he’s keeping his eye on the ball.

That said, he told the prospects that visits differ, depending on the time of year. In this case, he’s letting the packed house, bright lights and product on the field do the talking.

“All the focus is going to be on the game,” Day said. “We have a great recruiting staff that’s going to do everything they can to make sure they put on a great show and be great hosts for our recruits. But time will be limited. Maybe after the game on Sunday, we’ll have some time to catch up. We’ve got to focus on Notre Dame. It’s great. We have a lot of people flying in from different parts of the country. They play on Friday night and they’re able to come in on Saturday because it’s a night game. This is unique that way. So we do have big numbers.

“I say it all the time, every time [recruits] come to visit, it’s a different experience. This one is about watching the atmosphere and watching the game at Ohio State. When they come in in the spring or the winter, we get to spend more one-on-one time, that’s typically the focus. But this focus is about seeing the environment, watching the atmosphere and then visualizing yourself on the field playing for the Buckeyes.”