Ryan Day Gives Ohio State's Stance on NFL Players Returning to CFB amid Dae'Quan Wright-LSU Buzz

With college sports potentially evolving in another new, disruptive way, Ohio State coach Ryan Day will continue to adapt whether he likes it or not.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that tight end Dae'Quan Wright has an agreement in place to suit up for LSU in 2026 despite signing with an NFL team this offseason. Thanks to a temporary restraining order from a Louisiana judge, Wright is among a group of athletes who could gain an additional year of college eligibility.

Day said Monday the situation "is frustrating at the very least" in that the regular season is less than two weeks away and teams may still be adding to their rosters. At the same time, the coach isn't going to turn down the chance to bring in a player who can make a positive impact.

"But we also, if there are teams that have some players out there who are cut from NFL rosters that are gonna be on other teams, we have to at least consider it and look at it," Day said, per per Spencer Holbrook of Letterman Row. "Do I like anything about it? Absolutely not, but we gotta do what's right for Ohio State. So it's sort of a day-to-day thing right now. And like anything, we're just gonna try to adapt. But I think we would all agree, maybe not everybody, but that there has to be a certain point where your roster gets locked in."

In a business as cutthroat as high-level college sports, you often don't get very far by sticking to your principles. Just ask Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

The Tigers have fallen off in recent years, and part of that is down to Swinney's broad aversion to the transfer portal. He hamstrings himself by not targeting immediate reinforcements as aggressively as his peers.

For Day in particular, the expectations from Buckeyes fans are so unforgiving. It's not enough to beat Michigan and claim a Big Ten title anymore.

To continue qualifying for the College Football Playoff and advance in the bracket, Day and his staff need to keep the pipeline of high-level talent flowing. In time, that could mean waiting for NFL teams to make their final cuts to see whether some notable standouts will fall back into the college ranks.

Like Day, OSU fans may have their own qualms with college sports becoming professionalized in concrete ways, but they're still counting on the program to find whatever edges it can to win.