Five Ohio State football players who have defined the Ryan Day era so far

1. Denzel Burke

It's been an interesting college career for Denzel Burke. As a freshman in 2021, he was excellent and was the only good player in the secondary. He looked like he was destined to be a multi-time All-American because teams were already starting to throw in the opposite direction of him.

Then Burke had a really bad 2022 season that was marred by nagging injuries. Those injuries clearly made him less effective and he allowed a lot of big plays. He was no longer the shutdown corner he had been as a freshman. Last season, Ohio State football fans were hoping for 2021 Burke.

That's exactly the Burke they got. He was once again the special lockdown guy that he was as a freshman. Burke was the best player on the best pass defense in the country. Nobody allowed fewer passing yards than the Buckeyes a year ago. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to a win against Michigan or a Big Ten title.

Burke is back for his senior season this season and is joined by a lot of other really good players. It should once again be the best secondary in the country. There's an argument to be made that they could be even better because of the addition of Caleb Downs.

These five players have been the ones who have told the story of the Ryan Day era so far. If he finally beats Michigan this year, he'll have more time to add even more great players to his era.