The Ohio State football program struggled to adapt to NIL recruiting rules when they were first implemented. They were afraid to overspend, resulting in Ryan Day and his staff losing out on multiple elite recruits. It was a struggle to find the balance of the right amount of money while also making sure a recruit wasn't just committing for money.
Things have changed in the last couple of years. It has always been Day's philosophy not to overpay for high school recruits, instead preferring to play for proven talent in the Transfer Portal. That continues to be the case, but he has become less rigid when it comes to high school prospects.
In the 2027 recruiting class, the Ohio State Buckeyes have opted to pay several highly-touted recruits a substantial amount of money. Yet, they continue to refuse to overpay. They won't pay a ton of money for a high school player, no matter how highly they are ranked.
Ryan Day has figured out the proper way to use NIL funds in recruiting
Take the case of David Gabriel Georges. He is the recruit whom the Buckeyes have spent the most time on in this cycle. It was reported that he could surpass $1 million in NIL money. However, Ohio State refuses to pay that much. In fact, they might barely pay half that amount.
Even with that huge difference in money between Ohio State and Tennessee, Gabriel Georges could still pick the Buckeyes over the Volunteers. That's because Ohio State has so much more to offer than just money. Day has done a good job of showing recruits that.
Day is willing to pay a premium for top-shelf talent, as long as it's clear money is the primary motivation for a high school recruit, and not money. Day wants to make sure that the high school prospect is more focused on being a team-first guy and is someone who wants to win.
Ohio State has found a good balance with its NIL spending
The Buckeyes haven't been afraid to spend when it comes to DJ Jacobs or Marcus Fakatou. It seems they are willing to pay a lot for Gabriel Georges, as well. Monshun Sales' offer isn't small by any means, either. Day is willing to pay recruits more than he was a year ago.
Ross Bjork has helped greenlight the efforts to find more money for incoming recruits. While Ohio State sits just ninth in the recruiting rankings at the moment, those money efforts could give them an edge once December rolls around. They could have a top-five class by the time winter comes.
The Buckeyes bring in one of the best classes in the country almost every single year. That won't change in the 2027 class, and it looks like it won't change for the foreseeable future, either. The ability to not pay too much and still get the top recruits in the nation is the best balance in recruiting.
Ohio State has done a good job finding that balance.
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