Ryan Day Drops Unexpected Hint About His Son’s Recruitment – What It Means for the Future Revealed

What drives a football coach to not just win games, but to shape men—in the chaotic arena of college sports? Ohio State’s Ryan Day proved last year that pressure only sharpens his edge, guiding the Buckeyes to a national championship despite slipping past a Big Ten title. But beyond that thrill of victory lies a more personal story: watching his son, R.J., navigate the brutal recruitment gauntlet. For Day, the recruiting process is no longer just about facilities or flashy training rooms; it’s about the men who will surround and mold his boy. Isn’t it fascinating how coaching your own child can give you a front-row seat to the very challenges you face as a leader? The intertwining of family and football makes you wonder—how will these lessons reshape Day not just as a dad, but as one of college football’s most respected recruiters? Let’s pull back the curtain on that journey—which, yes, includes plenty of heart, insight, and maybe even a few surprises. LEARN MORE.

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day had the best season of his career in 2024, erasing all doubt about his ability to coach under pressure with a national championship victory.

The Buckeyes did not win the Big Ten last season, but they earned an invitation to the College Football Playoff as an at-large team. In the playoffs, they defeated Tennessee and Oregon before facing Texas in the national semifinal.

Day and the Buckeyes would put it all together with a win over Notre Dame in the national championship game, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time great coaches in Columbus.

Day was able to reach the top of his chosen profession last season, and he recently discussed his son’s efforts to do the same. Day’s son R.J. is a high school quarterback who has received offers from several Division I schools.

In an appearance on the “College GameDay Podcast,” Day talked about what his son’s recruitment has been like, and how he’s enjoyed having his son around.

“If you’re a doctor, lawyer, insurance salesman, you can’t bring your son to work very often. So we’ve been able to share a lot of time together,” Day said on the podcast.

“As fast as this is going and has gone, knowing that he’s going to be in college in two years is like, terrifying. He’s my best friend, and so he comes into Woody [Hayes Athletic Center] all the time. He’s at games with me. We’re able to share this game of football together.”

Day said that seeing his son go through the recruiting process has given him more perspective on what players and their families may be looking for during his own recruiting for the Buckeyes.

“At the end of the day when we go on these recruiting visits, I don’t care about the facilities, the weight room or anything like that. I just want to know who’s going to help raise my son,” Day said.

“Who are the men that are around that are going to help him become a better football player and a better man, off the field? That actually care about him. And I think that makes us all better coaches, when you look at it like that.”

We’ll see where RJ Day ends up, and how his father applies the lesson’s he’s learning through his experience to his own work as a recruiter for Ohio State.

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