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Ryan Day explains what he’s looking for at QB, how a starter will be determined
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Ohio State’s quarterback situation seems fairly cut and dry: Justin Fields will be the starter and Matthew Baldwin will serve as the backup. That’s been the thought ever since Fields decided to join the Buckeyes.
Head coach Ryan Day hasn’t bought into that mindset though, and continues to allow the two quarterbacks to battle it out throughout the spring. He’s not willing to just hand the job over to the former five-star prospect if he doesn’t earn it.
The battle between Fields and Baldwin will likely spill over into the summer, unless there’s some sort of clear separation between the two. But so far, at least according to Day, the two vying for the starting job have been pretty close in competition throughout the spring.
On Saturday, Fields and Baldwin will be in front of a large crowd at Ohio Stadium and a thousands of viewers on BTN for the spring game. Then, we’ll get a better understanding of what the Buckeyes’ quarterback situation is like.
Day talked about what he’s looking for in a starter on Wednesday, just a few days before the team takes the field.
“The coaches are off the field so now it’s their team. What does their leadership look like, how they manage the game, how does it look like managing the plays, managing the drive, understanding situations, down and distance,” Day said.
“And obviously the ability to work a team down the field and score touchdowns.”
He also talked about energy level and body demeaner being huge factors on Saturday, as well.
Day also talked about both Fields and Baldwin individually, highlighting the positive characteristics both guys bring to the field.
For Fields, Day has really been impressed with his tremendous ability and leadership qualities, even as a young guy.
“Very impressed with his ability to retain information, his football IQ,” Day said of Fields. “You forget for such a mature kid, he really hasn’t played much football at all…really he’s a freshman.
“His physical traits are tremendous, just in terms of his size, ability to move, strong arm. But then also he has good tangibles. He understands what’s going on, he sees his defenses, he has good football IQ.”
Day says that Baldwin — who is suddenly the longest-tenured Buckeye quarterback — continues to improve.
“I think he’s building his confidence every day. I think the best practices he’s had is probably the last four or five,” Day said. “Really impressed with the way he goes to work every day. He’s a Buckeye, and that’s important. That’s really important to our team.”
While everyone is banking on Fields to be the starter, Baldwin is putting up some strong competition. We’ll get a better look at what the quarterback situation looks like on Saturday.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB