COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State is halfway through its spring practice schedule, with the defending national champion continuing to build the foundation for the 2025 season.

Coach Ryan Day provided updates Monday after the Buckeyes held their eighth of 15 practices. You can watch his comments as they happen in the player above.

“We’re still installing some things. Now we’ve really gotta see those guys make improvements,” Day said. “It’s really important. If we’re just flatlining there, that’s not a good sign.”

The quarterback competition has garnered the most attention during the spring as Julian Sayin, Lincolk Keinholz and Tavian Brown vie for the starting spot to succeed Will Howard.

Sayin, a five-star recruit who earned playing time last year as a backup, has impressed Day as a leader so far in spring ball.

“He has credibility that he’s building in the locker room,” Day said. “It comes down to competency. When you step on that field, you got to be in command. The more you do it and the more consistent you get, the more confidence you have leading.”

Overall, Day said that there’s been good progress in the quarterback room with growth in all areas.

“There’s other moments where they have two or three plays in a row where we all get frustrated,” Day said. “But we’ll keep coaching them and keep pushing them. I think they have the right attitude. I think they have a growth mindset in that they come in every day and put the work in and preparation in. They just need more and more reps.”

The Ohio State roster consists of 35 returning letterman, including 17 on defense, 15 on offense and three specialists. Meanwhile, 27 players are taking part in their first Ohio State spring drills, including six who join the team from the transfer portal.

Former Purdue tight end Max Klare is among the group of newbies getting accustomed to life as a Buckeye. Named an all-Big Ten player last season, he played in 18 career games with the Boilermakers, making 73 catches for 881 yards.

“The tight end room is as deep as we thought it would be,” Day said. “There’s a lot of growth there.”

The Buckeyes will take part in four more practices this week, with Saturday’s session at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center designated as “Student Appreciation Day,” when students will be allowed to attend that day’s practice.

The practice season will culminate with the spring showcase on April 12, which Day previously said will closely resemble a traditional spring game.