INDIANAPOLIS — With expectations sky-high for the upcoming season, Ohio State has nearly arrived at the official start of the preseason as camp is set to get underway on Aug. 1. But before the Buckeyes reunite on the field to begin their journey, head coach Ryan Day and three player representatives —Emeka Egbuka, Denzel Burke, and Jack Sawyer —were in Indianapolis for Big Ten Media Days.

“It’s been a great summer,” Day said to begin his press conference. “The team that we have right now is working with urgency, they’re working with purpose, and it started with the guys who decided to come back. Three of them are here today, but it was very difficult to name three guys. We figured these three guys are a great representation of who we have, but by no means do they stick out more than the other guys. There are 12 guys who decided they wanted to come back and play this year. They wanted to forego their opportunity to go to the NFL and come back and leave something behind at Ohio State. Since they made that decision, through the winter and the spring, now in the summer as we head into preseason camp, you can see it. You can see the look in their eye. It’s a special group.”

While Ohio State’s foundation will be rooted in the host of players who chose to return, its fate will be as much about who was added to the roster as who remained on it. Newcomers Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Will Howard, and Seth McLaughlin all figure to factor heavily in their respective positions, reinforcing a depth chart that is sure to be among the most talented in the country.

“It’s a fun group to be around every day,” Day said. “(Strength and conditioning coach) Mick (Marotti) has been doing a great job and some of the workouts that we’ve had this summer, but now as we head into the preseason camp, it’s going to be critically important to build a foundation. Every year you rebuild a team. You don’t just jump back to where you were the year previous. We’re going to work really hard to have a physical preseason camp and build that foundation as that’s going to be what’s going to be the difference in the end.”

Day acknowledged the considerable hype surrounding his team, which is likely to enter the season as either the top or second-ranked team in the country. However, he noted the team can’t get wrapped up in what it failed to do last season or what it expects to have done by the end of this season. Instead, Day said they must remain dialed in on the process that will get them where they want to go.

“What we can’t do is let those distractions grab our focus from what we need to do day in and day out,” Day said. “We know it’s going to be a long season, but we have to have a great preseason. We have to have a physical preseason. We have to lay that foundation for what’s going to come as we head throughout the season.”

Day added, “I think anytime you’re at Ohio State, we know you’re going to have expectations, but there’s always going to be chatter. There’s always going to be noise. It’s our job to block all those things out and just focus on what really matters. I think especially this time of year the easy thing to do is focus on the goals, focus on the end of the season, but that’s really a waste of time if we don’t build a foundation right now.

“Now, our guys, they know what the expectation is. You’ve heard some of them say what their goals are. We’re not going to shy away from that. We want to win the rivalry game, be right in this stadium right here and win this Big Ten championship, win a National Championship. We know that. At the same time that can’t be our focus because that’s a distraction from where we are right now.”

Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.