RJ Day, the son of Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, is one of the top high school quarterbacks in the Buckeye State.
The three-year starter at Columbus St. Francis DeSales already owns school records in career passing yards and touchdowns entering his senior season.
Advertisement
MORE: Indiana Hoosiers new quarterback is already being compared to Fernando Mendoza
But on Sunday, the 6-foot-1, 204-pounder made a college commitment that will take him out of Ohio and into direct competition with his father.
Day announced on X he will attend Northwestern, choosing the Wildcats over the Purdue Boilermakers and USF Bulls. Northwestern competes in the Big Ten alongside Day’s powerhouse Buckeyes.
Day family reunites with Chip Kelly
A three-star recruit, Day is ranked as the No. 78 quarterback and the No. 1,178 player overall in the class of 2027, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.
Advertisement
That is not the kind of resume that earns someone, even a family member, an offer from Ohio State.
But Northwestern’s new offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, served on Ryan Day’s staff during the national title season of 2024. Kelly also coached Ryan Day during his college career as a quarterback at New Hampshire.
“It’s really surreal when you think about the relationships that we’ve had with those two as a family over the years,” RJ Day told ESPN. “Coach Kelly coached my dad in college, so that adds another layer to it.”
Beyond Purdue and USF, RJ Day also received offers from Iowa State, Clemson, Kentucky and UCLA. USF’s new head coach is Brian Hartline, the longtime receivers coach and offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
RJ Day passed for 2,710 yards and 25 touchdowns, both school records, for St. Francis DeSales as a junior in 2025. For his career, Day has thrown for 5,714 yards and 54 scores.
