News around the NFL broke that former Ohio State Buckeye Taylor Decker got paid with an $85 million contract for the next six years from the Detroit Lions. While Ryan Day wasn’t the head coach then, he was on the staff and primed to take over for Urban Meyer. Decker’s contract is one of four from the 2014 Buckeyes national title run Day can bring up when talking to recruits.
There are some really good players making some exceptional money with scarlet and gray ties. Coaches may not always use salary from the professional league when recruiting, but it is certainly something kids and family would take notice of. How a player is not only drafted, but how they are paid and viewed by NFL executives is a huge draw.
Ben Axelrod tweeted this out today after the contract:
Some recent NFL contract extensions signed by members of the 2014 Buckeyes:
Taylor Decker: 6 years, $85 million
Ezekiel Elliott: 6 years, $90 million
Michael Thomas: 5 years, $96.2 million
Joey Bosa: 5 years, $135 million
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) September 1, 2020
If Day adds in not only the salaries, but all of his draft picks, it shows that not only do players develop into better players at Ohio State, but they also are seen by the NFL as quality players coming out of college. There are still some players from that championship team and the subsequent years that will get paid over the next few years too.
In the last three drafts, Ohio State has had 26 picks. Many of those picks were in the first three rounds. With these 26 picks and the salary deals, Ryan Day can approach recruits sporting his championship ring, and instantly garner attention. It is obvious how the NFL views Buckeye players, now Ryan has some “data” to show it.