Ohio State’s current roster is fixed with Julian Sayin coming in for a final ride. But Thursday’s camp in Columbus showed Ryan Day might already have plans for one of the most fascinating QBs in the 2028 class. The intrigue here is that the Buckeyes current QB is playing a role in recruiting his former Alabama teammate Ty Simpson’s brother, Graham Simpson.

As Eleven Warriors’ Dan Hope noted, Graham Simpson spent the day in Columbus getting firsthand exposure to the program. For Ohio State, this was about making an impression on one of the most coveted young QBs in America before the recruiting war fully catches up on. And Julian Sayin may have played a bigger role than any coach in the 4-star 2028 QB’s recruitment. 

The connection was already there between Julian Sayin and Ty Simpson. They were teammates under Nick Saban before Sayin chose Ohio State the same month after the coach’s retirement. Simpson remained at Alabama and finished his final season after starting all 15 games and earning Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2025. Now, the Buckeyes QB is playing the role of a recruiter for Graham Simpson, who’s already smitten. 

“Julian is a cool guy – Cali cool,” he said. “He just told me, ‘This is a good place, a good place to be.’ He wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

There’s another reason why Ohio State may surge ahead for Graham Simpson. His father, Jason, admitted that his son’s playing style reminds him of Julian Sayin’s. That similarity was one reason the family made the trip to Columbus in the first place. And then there’s experienced and proven staff that’s working to build the relationship. 

QBs coach Billy Fessler spent time working directly with Graham Simpson during camp. Ryan Day himself also devoted one-on-one attention to the recruit and his parents, Jason and Julie. The two already met during the 2026 NFL Draft where his big brother got drafted by the LA Rams as the 13th overall pick. And for a QB prospect, talking football with the Ohio State head coach, who was a former QB himself, tends to leave an impression. 

“Meeting him there (NFL Draft) and obviously talking here, talking ball with him is just – as a quarterback, it makes you love this place even more,” he said.

Now, Graham Simpson isn’t just living off his brother’s reputation. At Westview High School in Tennessee, he captured the 2025 Tennessee Mr. Football Award for Class 3A after leading the Chargers to a perfect 15-0 season and a state championship throwing for 3,565 yards and 43 touchdowns. That’s why major programs are lining up. But before discussing the growing recruiting battle, one thing became more clear during his Columbus visit.

Ryan Day’s QB pedigree is making a strong impression

The Simpson family knows QB development. Jason Simpson has been the head coach at UT Martin since 2006 and previously coached QBs at Jacksonville State and Southwest Texas State while serving as Chattanooga’s OC. That’s why he understands what quality QB coaching looks like. And that’s where Ryan Day’s background became a selling point.

“There is something about a head coach that’s a quarterback guy at heart, that coached the position,” he said. “Not that defensive coordinators that turn into head coaches don’t have good quarterbacks, but there is something with the different dialogue that you can have as a head coach with the quarterback when you’ve coached it and played it.”

That’s a huge endorsement and Ohio State’s momentum looks real. Graham Simpson’s admiration for the Buckeyes grew more after that Thursday camp. 

“I’ve been through it with my brother and been through it at all these places,” Graham said. “You look at this place and your eyes pop. You say, ‘Whoa.'”

Still, the Buckeyes aren’t alone in this race. Texas has entered the race, Alabama remains heavily involved while Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt are all pursuing him aggressively. But right now, Ohio State has something few schools can match. A QB room led by Julian Sayin who’s become a recruiter, a head coach who speaks a QB’s language, and a recruiting pitch backed by years of NFL success. Whether that ultimately lands Graham Simpson remains to be seen.