The Difference Between Quarterbacks R.J. Day and Chase Herbstreit
- Fred
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Yesterday, R.J. Day, son of Ohio State Coach Ryan Day, chose to play quarterback at....Northwestern.
On the surface, the choice seems curious, but when you dig a little deeper, it makes perfect sense.
Today, in the NIL Era, Ohio State's job is not to develop young quarterbacks, it is to win. Pay the best quarterback from an average school to come to your program and win now. The equation worked to perfection when OSU poached Will Howard from Kansas State.
Ryan Day's son is not ready to win now, Northwestern is not ready to win the Big 10 right now. Third-year coach David Braun just hired Chip Kelly as the new offensive coordinator with a goal of having a winning record on the season AND in the Big Ten. The bar at Northwestern is set one notch above .500 as it still reels from the loss of Pat Fitzgerald. Chip Kelly's name sounds familiar? That's because he has a resume in college football 35 years long and coached Ryan Day a lifetime ago at New Hampshire. R.J. Day to Northwestern makes perfect sense for all involved.
Last year we wrote the very critical missive: Chase Herbstreit: Loser
"Earlier this year, one of Ohio State's most visible alumni, Kirk Herbstreit, congratulated his son Chase for signing with Michigan. We were pissed, but we're not the typical rabid OSU fan, we were stunned that the Senior Herbstreit allowed his kid to get used for publicity. As an Ohio State Alum, your kid could have gone to any of 132 FCS or 128 FBS schools. The only school you couldn't send your kid to is Michigan. It's not a hard concept. Choosing one of the 260 other schools SHOULDN'T have been a problem."
At the end of 2026, Herbstreit was still on the team but not on their depth chart.
Now did Herbstreit set the world on fire at the Michigan Spring Game? He did not. As a matter of fact, let's review what happened to Michigan since the end of 2025.
The Michigan Coach, that recruited Herbstreit, was fired with cause.
QB Davis Warren transferred to Stanford.
QB Jadyn Davis transferred to East Tennessee State.
QB Mikey Keene transferred to Arizona State.
QB Colin Hurley transferred in from LSU, then left Michigan in March 2026 (Still listed as QB 3 at OurLads. Maybe he'll come back?)
Well that's good news for Herbstreit, right, that means he moves up the depth chart?
Not so fast. According to Michigan fan website MaizeNBlue, this is the QB Depth Chart for Fall of 2026:
QB Bryce Underwood - Returning Starter
QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi - Transfer in from Colorado State University
QB Tommy Carr - True Freshman, ranked # 316 in the incoming class.
Also looking to move up the depth chart:
Brady Smigiel? Coming off an ACL tear, he did not play in Spring Game, but threw the ball.
Chase Herbstreit? Sports Illustrated covered the Spring Game and reported what Dad Kirk wore on the sidelines. Chase's stat line? Not reported.
Jake Garcia? Graduating Senior with eligibility, not on Spring Game roster.
When the Fall Depth Chart comes out, I fully anticipate Chase with be 4th in the QB Room.
And once the new Michigan Coach settles in and gets the guys he wants in the 2027 Transfer window, look for Herbstreit to move back to 5th or 6th in the depth chart for the Fall of 2027.
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