Biggest Decision Facing Ohio State Coach Ryan Day During Fall Camp

Ohio State's head coach Ryan Day might have a major decision to make on defense this fall.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the first practice of training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on Aug. 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Football is finally back in the air in Columbus as Ohio State returned to the field on Thursday for its first day of fall camp.

Many people will be interested in watching what the Buckeyes' offensive line will look like, particularly who will start at left tackle: Ian Moore or Austin Siereveld.

But the first day of camp revealed something significant for the defense that head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia may have to address with a major decision.

Dominick Kelly could have a great chance to start at outside corner

According to multiple people at camp on Thursday, Dominick Kelly took a majority of the first-team cornerback reps alongside Devin Sanchez. Kelly's increase in first-team reps is significant because Jermaine Mathews Jr. decided not to head to the NFL this spring and will return to school for one more season. Mathews was expected to be the starting outside corner along with Sanchez.

Mathews could still end up being one of the starting outside corners, but it is telling that Kelly getting first-team reps shows Mathews doesn’t have the position locked down that many people thought.

Kelly is new to Ohio State this season; he transferred in from Georgia in the winter. The 6-foot-1 corner played one season for the Bulldogs, as he was supposed to be part of the 2026 high school class but reclassified to 2025.

247Sports ranked Kelly as the 38th best corner in the 2025 high school class and ranked him as the 12th best corner in the 2026 transfer class. Kelly played in 10 games last season but didn't see much action, only playing 107 snaps at defensive back and special teams.  

Ohio State must've liked what it saw from Kelly during spring practices to start him with the first-team defense on the first day of fall camp.

The Buckeyes know Mathews well, as he has been a big part of their defense the last two seasons, totaling 799 snaps at defensive back and special teams last season.

If Kelly wins the starting cornerback spot, it likely means he outperformed Mathews, which would be a positive development for the defense. However, if Kelly secures the job simply because Mathews had a subpar camp, Ohio State may face challenges in the secondary this season.

Ohio State won't have much opportunity to evaluate its cornerback depth in games. In Week 1, it will face Ball State, and in Week 2, it will travel to Texas to compete against one of the best receiver duos in the country: Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo.