Ryan Day usually does a pretty good job of holding on to key players. The Ohio State football program usually doesn't have a lot of guys who leave that they end up regretting letting go. As one of the top programs in the country, they usually keep their best guys.
This past offseason, the Buckeyes saw a large exodus from the program. They lost around 30 players from the roster. A couple of former five-star receivers left, too. It's too early to tell if the Buckeyes will end up regretting letting them head off to Notre Dame, though.
Still, there are players that Day wishes he could have kept for the Ohio State Buckeyes. There are three of them that stand out more than the rest. Had Day kept these players, he would have been much happier in the following seasons.
1. TE Joe Royer
Day's offense isn't exactly known as the most tight-end-friendly offense. Most of the time, the tight end is an afterthought in the passing game. That's why Joe Royer decided to transfer to Cincinnati after the 2023 season after only catching four passes in his career.
Once he started playing for the Bearcats, he immediately became one of the best weapons they had. He had 938 yards and seven touchdowns in the two seasons he played for the Bearcats. Based on that production, he was a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Keeping Royer would have given them another strong option at the tight end spot. It also would have prevented them from needing to get Max Klare or Will Kacmarek.
2. QB Quinn Ewers
Even to this point, the highest-rated recruit in Ohio State football history is Quinn Ewers. He was a member of the 2021 recruiting class, which was the best recruiting class in school history in terms of ranking. Ewers spent just one year with the Buckeyes before transferring to Texas.
While C.J. Stroud had a good college career and Will Howard beat Ewers en route to a national championship for the Buckeyes, keeping Ewers is something that Day certainly wanted to do. He likely would have been able to turn Ewers into the first-round pick that everyone thought he was going to be.
3. DL Hero Kanu
Perhaps the player who hurt the most when he left is Hero Kanu. Kanu was providing excellent depth on the defensive line before he transferred to Texas. Last year, the defensive line faced major questions early on because of the lack of depth up front.
Kanu is still with the Longhorns, and Ohio State once again had to get into the Transfer Portal to fix the depth problem on the defensive line. Had he stayed, he would have been a big part of what Matt Patricia wants to do up front. Having Kanu would be a nice piece of depth heading into this season.
Instead, the Buckeyes will be taking on Kanu for the second straight season once Week 2 rolls around. Ohio State will be looking for its third consecutive win over the Longhorns.
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