Ryan Day shares what Josh Proctor's return has meant for Ohio State

Ohio State wouldn’t be the same this season without Josh Proctor. On Thursday, OSU head coach Ryan Day praised his veteran safety.

“We sat down and had a long conversation about the positives of going out and, then, the positives of coming back. The negatives of going out, the negatives of coming back,” Day said. “I won’t speak for him, but I think [after] the injury that that he had, he wanted a full year of preparing for his last season to put his best foot forward and to leave something behind at Ohio State.”

Proctor has given fans plenty to smile about this season. In just three appearances, the graduate student boasts 16 tackles and three passes defended. Proctor has only missed one game this season, unavailable in Week 3 against Youngstown State.

Proctor is no stranger to setbacks. The Oklahoma native started in the Buckeyes’ season opener last season after battling back from a broken leg suffered in 2021. Despite a grueling offseason, Ohio State benched Proctor after one game.

Now, back in the starting lineup, Proctor is doing all he can to stay on the field. His efforts don’t go unnoticed.

“This is another guy on defense who’s played a lot of football now and you’re starting to see those those reps add up,” Day said. “If we’re going to reach our goals this season we’re gonna need Josh to be a consistent factor for our defense.

“Historically, he has flashed at times, but now you’re starting to see more consistency in his game. We’re counting on him to be that guy that’s consistent throughout the season. He’s had another good week of practice and I think he’s looking forward to playing again on Saturday.”

A new challenge for Josh Proctor

Proctor won’t have an easy task in front of him. On Saturday, the Buckeyes will face off against the undefeated Maryland Terrapins, who are led by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The fifth-year QB has already amassed 1,464 passing yards and 13 touchdowns this season while throwing just three interceptions.

Maryland is more than Tagovailoa, too. The Terrapins average 454.8 total yards per game, ranking No. 29 in the nation. While OSU holds history over Maryland’s head, Day isn’t letting his team get ahead of themselves.

“If we are going to win this weekend against Maryland, we have to play better, we have to coach better,” Day said.

Watch Proctor and his fellow Buckeyes square off against Maryland at noon ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on FOX.