Youth Movement: Ryan Day required to check-in Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs due to Vegas hotel age restriction

Ohio State had 14 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and are returning just nine total starters. Simply put, the Buckeyes are young and, in some cases, too young.

At the Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day revealed that he had to check in Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles at their hotel in Las Vegas because none of them were old enough to do so. Day couldn’t help but crack a smile while recounting the unusual interaction.

“We were checking into the hotel and as we were checking in, the woman behind the desk said, ‘Is there someone 21 who can check these three guys in?'” Ryan Day recounted. “I said, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ because Caleb and Sonny are both 20, and Jeremiah is 19.

“When you get around our guys, and especially these three, you realize not only how talented and special they are, but what great young men. And I think all three guys are a great representation of what it means to be a Buckeye and they have shown great leadership.”

True story: Ryan Day had to check his players into their Vegas hotel.

The hotel required someone 21+ to do it, and Jeremiah Smith (19), Caleb Downs (20) & Sonny Styles (20) were too young 😊#B1GFootball x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/Pi8856WPoe

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) July 22, 2025

While Ohio State’s leaders are young this year, they’re talented. Jeremiah Smith, the youngest of the three players who represented Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days, tallied 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

He was the Big Ten Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year. For his efforts in the 2024 campaign, he was also named a First-Team All-American. Smith didn’t shrink under the bright lights.

He had several impressive performances in OSU’s run to the national title, including a 187-yard, two-touchdown outing against Oregon. Of course, Smith isn’t the only young Ohio State player who’s already amassed an extensive résumé.

Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State from Alabama last offseason after being named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year. Downs only built on his momentum, reeling in unanimous All-American honors and Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Award in 2024.

While linebacker Sonny Styles hasn’t stockpiled nearly as many accolades as Smith or Downs, he was pivotal to OSU’s national championship run last season. Styles will look to only increase his impact on the team this fall.

Ohio State’s young core won’t have to wait much longer to show they’re more than capable of defeating veteran opponents. On Aug. 30, Ryan Day and Co. will kick off their season in a showdown against Texas at noon ET. The game will air live on FOX.