Ohio State's Ryan Day explains Buckeyes' massive offseason transfer overhaul: 'Adapt or die'
The Buckeyes coach compared the current college football landscape to that of the dinosaurs
Ohio State coach Ryan Day recently watched Netflix's "The Dinosaurs" documentary and came away struck by the idea of evolution -- a concept he sees playing out in college football's NIL and revenue-sharing era.
Even apex predators -- much like perennial title contender Ohio State -- struggled to survive when conditions changed. Programs that adapt and find new ways to stay atop the sport, Day said, will continue to succeed.
"If you want to feel insignificant, watch that because it talks about how the dinosaurs were on earth like 250 million years ago," Day said Tuesday after practice. "Over that time, the world changed, the climate changed, the earth changed. Some dinosaurs figured out how to continue to adapt, and some died. I guess that's a little extreme, but I think it's kind of the way it is in college football."
One of the sport's biggest spenders, Ohio State acknowledged a roster backed by roughly $20 million in NIL entering its national championship season in 2024. While that title team included some big-name transfers -- including former Alabama standout safety Caleb Downs and ex-Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins -- the Buckeyes brought in only eight players from the portal ahead of their national title run. Much of the Buckeyes' budget was instead spent on retaining talent.
A new Day
Resources and investment remain uneven across the sport. But as Day emphasized, adaptability is now essential. Traditional roster-building methods have largely given way to a new model -- and there's no going back.
After a one-and-done CFP in 2025 that included a loss to national runner-up Miami, Ohio State signed 17 transfers in the 2026 portal cycle -- the most in Day's eight seasons -- following an offseason that included 37 departures. Overall, the Buckeyes' transfer class ranked No. 5 for the cycle, according to 247Sports.
The Buckeyes bolstered their secondary with defensive backs Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and Terry Moore (Duke). They also beefed up along the defensive line after losing 10 players to the portal and draft. James Smith (Alabama), John Walker (Central Florida) and Qua Russaw (Alabama).
While the defense will feature several new faces, the offense brings back nine of 11 starters, including star receiver Jeremiah Smith, who said over the weekend that another program attempted to lure him into the transfer portal after the 2025 season, but he remained at Ohio State on a lucrative deal. Smith is expected to be among the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft.
"I wasn't surprised," Smith said. "I knew, especially at the end of that game, that a certain program was going to come at me very hard. Not gonna say names -- I think everybody knows who it was. But I wasn't going anywhere."
College football roster building is a delicate balance of recruiting, retention and adding talent from the portal -- and that balance changes from year to year. While it is difficult to keep up with these changes, it's essential to staying on top of the college football hierarchy -- and the alternative is becoming a fossil.
