Ohio State Football’s 2025 Big Ten Media Days Trio Headlines High Expectations as Ryan Day Leads Team into Pivotal Season
Ohio State football will have a major presence at the 2025 Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas, with three standout players set to join head coach Ryan Day on the national stage. As the Buckeyes prepare for another season with championship aspirations, this year’s media day delegation reflects both the strength of the program and the urgency surrounding it. The trio joining Day is expected to represent the team’s core leadership, experience, and playmaking ability, and their selection provides insight into what Ohio State values heading into the fall.
These events are more than just press conferences or preseason obligations; they are opportunities to set a tone, project confidence, and reestablish a team’s identity. For Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, that identity has come under more scrutiny in recent years. Despite impressive regular-season records and playoff contention, the sting of consecutive losses to Michigan and near-misses in the postseason have placed an uncomfortable spotlight on Day’s leadership. Now, entering the 2025 campaign, Ohio State is viewed as a team with both tremendous opportunity and enormous pressure.
The three players making the trip with Day each bring their own storyline, personality, and significance to the table. Typically, schools send upperclassmen leaders—team captains, preseason All-Americans, or veterans expected to play pivotal roles. Ohio State is no different. These players are tasked with representing not only their teammates but the ethos of the entire Buckeye program.
One of those expected to attend is starting quarterback Julian Sayin, the former five-star recruit who transferred from Alabama and is now entrenched as Ohio State’s offensive leader. After arriving in Columbus with high expectations, Sayin took command of the Buckeye offense in 2024 and showcased a skill set that made him one of the most coveted high school quarterbacks in recent memory. His presence at Media Days underscores his role not only as the face of the offense but as a tone-setter for the program. Sayin’s maturity, poise, and talent make him an ideal spokesperson, and this will be his opportunity to demonstrate his leadership off the field as well.
Sayin’s role in the 2025 season cannot be overstated. With a year of experience in the system and chemistry built with his receiving corps, he is expected to elevate Ohio State’s offensive ceiling. His arm strength, decision-making, and ability to make plays in the clutch will be crucial in big matchups, especially as the Buckeyes aim to reclaim the Big Ten crown and secure a return to the College Football Playoff. Media Days will offer him a chance to show he’s ready for that responsibility—not just with his play, but with his voice.
Another Buckeye making the trip is linebacker C.J. Hicks, a former five-star recruit from Ohio who has emerged as the emotional and physical leader of the defense. Hicks represents everything Ohio State wants to embody on that side of the ball—athleticism, intelligence, toughness, and a relentless motor. He has steadily improved each year, and in 2025, he’s being counted on to be the anchor of a defense that’s expected to be one of the best in the country.
Hicks is also emblematic of Ohio State’s renewed focus on developing homegrown stars who embrace the Buckeye tradition. His loyalty to the program, work ethic, and production have made him a fan favorite, and his voice carries weight in the locker room. He’ll be expected to communicate Ohio State’s defensive mindset at Media Days—aggressive, disciplined, and determined to shut down even the most dynamic offenses in the country.
Defensively, Ohio State has taken significant strides under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, and Hicks is one of the most important pieces in the unit’s evolution. From blitzing off the edge to dropping in coverage or serving as a spy against dual-threat quarterbacks, Hicks’s versatility is a game-changer. His leadership and on-field instincts will be on full display this fall, and Media Days gives him a platform to preview what’s to come.
Rounding out the trio is wide receiver Carnell Tate, a dynamic playmaker and one of the most explosive talents in college football. With Marvin Harrison Jr. now in the NFL, Tate is expected to assume the mantle of WR1 in Columbus. He flashed brilliance in 2024, making acrobatic catches, breaking big plays, and proving he’s more than ready to be the next in a long line of elite Buckeye receivers.
Tate’s appearance at Media Days signifies his importance to the offense and his growing stature nationally. He’ll likely field questions about the legacy of Ohio State wide receivers, his relationship with Sayin, and how he plans to step into a leadership role on offense. Like Sayin and Hicks, Tate is not just a playmaker—he’s a cornerstone.
These three selections aren’t just about talent—they’re about trust. Ryan Day is sending players who can handle the media spotlight, represent the program with class, and articulate the team’s goals clearly. Each of them embodies a different aspect of Ohio State’s identity: Sayin, the poised quarterback with star power; Hicks, the heart-and-soul defender with Buckeye roots; and Tate, the flashy receiver ready to take center stage.
For Day himself, Media Days offer a chance to reassert control of the narrative. After the turbulence of the last few seasons—close losses, fan frustrations, and questions about toughness—he has a chance to signal confidence and clarity. There will be no shortage of questions about Michigan, the expanded Big Ten, the College Football Playoff format, and expectations in Columbus. Day will have to balance honesty with optimism, and give fans a reason to believe that 2025 is the year everything comes together.
The setting of this year’s Media Days in Las Vegas adds another layer of intrigue. It’s a fitting place for bold predictions, high stakes, and big personalities. For a program like Ohio State, which is constantly chasing perfection, the glitz of Vegas will only amplify the scrutiny—but also the opportunity.
The Big Ten landscape is shifting dramatically in 2025. With the additions of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, the conference is deeper, more talented, and more challenging than ever before. Navigating this new reality requires leadership, stability, and elite talent—qualities that Ohio State believes it possesses in abundance. The three-player delegation is a sign that the Buckeyes aren’t just talking about being elite—they’re showing it.
But there is also pressure—immense pressure. Anything short of a Big Ten title or a College Football Playoff appearance will be seen as a failure. Fans have grown restless with falling just short. The Michigan rivalry looms larger than ever. National expectations are sky-high. And in a sport where perception often equals opportunity, how Ohio State presents itself at Media Days matters.
That’s why this trio’s presence is so important. They’ll be tasked with shaping the national conversation around Ohio State. They’ll be asked to explain what’s different this year. They’ll be pushed to share how the team has grown, what they’ve learned from past disappointments, and why they believe 2025 is the year the Buckeyes finally break through.
Julian Sayin will need to show he’s not just a talented quarterback, but a leader of men. C.J. Hicks will need to articulate the defensive edge that has grown in Columbus. Carnell Tate will need to speak to the tradition he’s continuing and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. And Ryan Day will need to guide them, reinforce their messages, and present a unified, focused, and hungry Buckeye team.
This isn’t just a preseason media event. For Ohio State, it’s a mission statement.
The season will be long, and the challenges many. But for one day in Las Vegas, the Buckeyes will have the floor. The nation will be watching. And with Sayin, Hicks, and Tate by his side, Ryan Day will aim to remind everyone that Ohio State remains a force to be reckoned with—and that the best may still be to come.
