Ryan Day has built Ohio State into one of the most reliable recruiting machines in the country, and most of the time the Buckeyes end up just fine even when a target slips away. But there are a few misses and near-misses that still stand out, and a handful of them could have changed the shape of the program in a major way.
The biggest one starts with Quinn Ewers, the highest-rated recruit in Ohio State football history. When Day landed him, there were real questions about whether Ewers could jump in and start as a true freshman in 2021.
That job went to C.J. Stroud instead, and Stroud was probably going to hold the spot for two seasons before Ewers had a chance.
Instead, Ewers spent a year collecting NIL money and then headed to Texas, where he started for three years. He later lost to Ohio State in the 2024 Cotton Bowl, a result that would have sent him to the national championship.
If he had stayed in Columbus and waited behind Stroud, the Buckeyes probably never would have brought in Will Howard to start in 2024. That means the greatest four-game run in college football history and the national title might never have happened.
At the same time, Ewers likely would have been better than he was at Texas.
Another big what-if is Dylan Raiola. He committed to Ohio State in May of 2022 and was the top-rated quarterback in the 2024 class.
If he had stayed locked in, he likely would have been Ohio State’s starter in 2025 after Will Howard arrived through the Transfer Portal, and he would have won a national championship with the Buckeyes. Instead, Raiola’s path has gone all over the place.
He de-committed from Ohio State, committed to George, eventually landed at Nebraska, and then spent two uninspiring seasons starting for the Cornhuskers. He transferred to Oregon this past season, where he will back up Dante Moore.
Raiola would have had Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate to throw to, but instead he looks like a bust. Julian Sayin likely wouldn’t be a Buckeye if Raiola had stayed committed, either.
Then there’s Caleb Downs, one of the biggest recruiting losses Day has taken. Ohio State missed on him out of high school in 2023, when he chose Alabama.
Downs was Alabama’s best player as a freshman, then transferred to Ohio State in 2024 and immediately became the Buckeyes’ best defensive player. The obvious question is what would have happened if Day had landed him from the start.
Would Ohio State’s defense have gotten off the field against Michigan in 2023 on that final drive that burned more than six minutes? If the Buckeyes had gotten the ball back sooner, they might have scored the touchdown needed to win the game and reach the College Football Playoff.
And if that happens, TTUN never wins a national championship.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Faces The Reckoning Ohio State Fans Wanted
Michigans athletic department is staring down another ugly chapter, with the football program under investigation for multiple scandals that have already put the school on the defensive. The allegations include illegal scouting and an inappropriate relationship, and the fallout has only deepened the sense that this is no longer just about one bad episode but a broader institutional mess.
For Ohio State fans, the intrigue is obvious because the Buckeyes have spent plenty of time dealing with Michigan on the field while watching the off-field drama swirl around Ann Arbor. Athletic director Warde Manuel is now at the center of the latest uncertainty, and the full investigation report should bring a clearer picture of how far the damage goes and what kind of leadership changes may follow. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Huge Recruiting Week With QB Pressure Rising
Ohio States 2027 class already sits inside the top 10 nationally and carries the kind of per-player quality that keeps the Buckeyes in the middle of almost every major recruiting conversation. Even with that foundation, the next few days matter because the staff is still working through a cluster of high-end decisions, with quarterback Lukas Prock now listing Ohio State among his top five schools and giving the Buckeyes another chance to stay in the mix at the position.
The bigger pressure point is how the board could shift around those announcements, especially with wide receiver Monshun Sales and defensive lineman Karlos May both nearing decisions. Sales is expected to go first, and while Ohio State remains part of the conversation, the Buckeyes are not being viewed as the front-runner there, which only raises the importance of what happens next as the class keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Loses Top In State Recruit To SEC Powerhouse
A prized in-state offensive tackle from Youngstown has already given Ohio State a reminder of how unforgiving recruiting can be, especially when the Buckeyes are trying to keep building around the line of scrimmage. Anthony Blalock Jr., one of the more coveted big men in the 2028 class, had been a name worth watching for a program that continues to lean heavily into trench recruiting while sitting at No. 7 in the 2027 cycle with 18 commitments.
Blalocks choice stings because this is the kind of Ohio prospect Ohio State usually expects to keep home, particularly with the Buckeyes need to stockpile elite offensive linemen. Instead, a different heavyweight program won the battle, leaving Ohio State to regroup and keep pressing on a board where every top in-state miss carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]