Earlier this week, news broke that Ohio State Buckeyes superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had been offered over $4.5 million to transfer from Ohio State to another program. His head coach, Ryan Day, recently commented on the challenges of retaining players in college football during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show.
When asked directly about the $4.5 million offer, Day emphasized the importance of bringing in great people and their families, and ensuring they are valued. “I think the first thing is you have to bring in great people and great families. But you also have to value them and try to do everything you can to get what they deserve and what’s fair,” Day said on the show.
He also acknowledged the complexities of the current situation, stating, “But there’s also something to be said about being around a program like ours. You think if it’s all equal, we’ll have a chance to get our share of guys. But it is different, there’s no question. I think as coaches we’re all looking for more guidelines on this; everything is so gray right now.” Day called for stricter enforcement of NIL and tampering rules, noting that while rules exist, they are seldom enforced. “I think one of the big issues that we have across the board in college football is enforcement. You know some of the stories of some of the things that have gone on maybe in the last couple of years, but enforcement is really strained right now. Until we start enforcing some of these rules, like you said, people can just call someone’s agent or someone’s parents and offer them a certain amount of money,” he explained.
If there’s one thing Day wishes to change about college football, it’s the enforcement of these rules. “That’s one of the things, to me, that I think we have got to get addressed in college sports and college football. Because now, there’s virtually none, and it’s gotten worse as time has gone on,” he remarked.
Despite these concerns, Day seems to be thriving within the current framework, having led Ohio State to the national championship. We’ll have to see if Ohio State can repeat as champions next season.
