Despite being the son of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, RJ Day does not currently hold an offer from the Buckeyes. But he is still gaining attention from other elite programs. Now that RJ Day has continued his “hunting” phase by attending camps and spring practices at various Power 4 schools to finalize his own shortlist, he has received another offer from an ex-OSU coach.
On Wednesday, RJ Day received a scholarship offer from South Florida. “Thank you @brianhartline for offering me a scholarship to The University of South Florida!!” wrote RJ on his X, showing his excitement after getting the offer.
With this move, Hartline’s USF joins a growing list of more than 14 Division I programs, including Power 4 schools such as Purdue, Syracuse, and Boston College. Among them, Purdue and Syracuse have emerged as early frontrunners due to high interest and strong connections. According to Rivals RPM, Purdue has a 56.4% chance to secure the QB. Meanwhile, RJ has a connection to the Orange through former OSU QB Kyle McCord, who is his Catholic confirmation sponsor.
Here’s where familiarity comes into play, which could give USF an edge. Given his father’s position, the 3-star 2027 QB has grown up around OSU, often seeing Brian Hartline, the current USF head coach, during team practices and events. The ex-OSU OC and WRs coach worked closely with Ryan Day for nearly nine years in Columbus until leaving for a head coaching job at USF late last year.
Landing the 2027 QB won’t be a walk in the park for Hartline. Day is exploring his options across the Southeast, with recent visits to Clemson and South Carolina, and has upcoming trips planned to both USF and Purdue, making it a wide-open race.
Thank you@brianhartline for offering me a scholarship to The University of South Florida!!@BradMaendler@AllenTrieu @SWiltfong_@petenakos @247Sports@TheUCReport @On3@FootballSFD pic.twitter.com/eM9YDueY6P
— RJ Day (@rj_day1) April 7, 2026
If they succeed, the Bulls would be getting a proven talent in RJ Day, who has rewritten the DeSales record books with 5,714 career passing yards. His big-game potential was on full display last season when he threw for a staggering 482 yards and three touchdowns in a playoff win, capping a junior year that earned him Second Team All-Ohio honors.
Despite such talent on display, why hasn’t Ohio State offered RJ?
Ryan Day’s thoughts on his son’s recruitment
Ryan Day has stated that he wants the 2027 3-star QB RJ to make his own recruiting decisions and find the “right place” for himself, rather than automatically following him to Ohio State. However, the coach set his expectations for his son’s collegiate destination.
“You know at the end of the day, when we go on these recruiting visits, I don’t really care about the facilities or the weight room,” said Day. “I just want to know who’s going to help raise my son. Who are the men that are going to be around to help him become a better football player, but a better man off the field, and who are actually going to care about him?”
Even the 2027 QB also admitted the advantage he has in the recruitment process as the son of the OSU head coach, saying, “He knows what to look for. Nothing’s going to fool him. It helps with that because he sees through whatever somebody might try to put up.”
With his father looking for mentors and RJ looking for the right fit, the decision will come down to which program can satisfy both.
