RJ Day, Son of Ohio State Coach Ryan Day, Commits to Northwestern

Three-star quarterback recruit RJ Day grew up around the Big Ten, and he is staying there.

Day has committed to play for Northwestern in the 2027 season, he announced Sunday morning on social media.

“Super excited to announce my commitment to further my football and academic career at Northwestern University!!” Day wrote. “Excited for the next step and ready to get to work! Go Cats!”

Day is the son of Ohio State coach Ryan Day. He plays for St. Francis de Sales High School in Columbus, and chose the Wildcats over offers from Purdue, South Florida and others.

Northwestern and the Buckeyes are scheduled to meet in Evanston, Ill., during the `27 campaign, meaning a family reunion is already on the horizon.

The Days and Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly go back decades

The Wildcats hired Kelly as their offensive coordinator on Dec. 30, following an unceremonious tenure with the Raiders. Kelly got the Las Vegas job in the first place thanks to his work for Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team—work that in turn came about due to his connection to Ryan Day.

Kelly was born in Dover, N.H., in 1963; Ryan was born an hour’s drive to the southwest in Manchester, N.H., 16 years later. Kelly played for New Hampshire as a defensive back, and worked on the program’s staff in 1992 and then from ’94 to 2006. While at New Hampshire, Kelly helped keep Ryan in the Granite State, recruiting him to play quarterback from ‘98 to ’01. Now, Kelly will coach Ryan’s son.

Northwestern even plays a part in this story: Kelly’s New Hampshire squad dominated Northwestern 34–17 in ’06 in a game that helped thrust the coach into the national spotlight. Oregon hired him as its offensive coordinator a year later to considerable success, elevated him to the head coaching position before the 2009 season, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Northwestern rarely starts the quarterbacks it recruits

The program has relied on transfers at the quarterback position for many years, going back to the days of coach Pat Fitzgerald. In 2020, it was ex-Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey. Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina), Ben Bryant (Eastern Michigan and Cincinnati), Mike Wright (Vanderbilt and Mississippi State) and Preston Stone (SMU) followed over the years. In 2026, Aidan Chiles—formerly of Oregon State and Michigan State—will take the reins for a team looking to build on a bowl victory.

Where does RJ fit into the picture? Chiles’s eligibility is up after ’25, and the most experienced quarterback on the roster besides him—Ryan Boe—has thrown 20 passes lifetime for Northwestern. The only quarterback Northwestern recruited in the Class of ’26 is Johnny O’Brien, a three-star recruit from nearby Palatine, Ill., with 93 high-school touchdowns to his name.

If history is a guide, Northwestern snagging a quarterback in the transfer portal this coming offseason is a distinct possibility. However, despite his relatively low ranking—he’s the No. 92 quarterback in his class—expect RJ to figure into any wide-ranging quarterback battle next year.

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