RJ Day committed to Northwestern University on Sunday, giving the Wildcats another quarterback in a fast-moving offseason search at the position. The class of 2027 quarterback announced the decision on Instagram and said he was “excited for the next step and ready to get to work.”

Day is a three-star prospect who had offers from 12 other schools, including Boston College and Cincinnati. The son of Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day, he spent three years as the starter at St. Francis DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio, where he set school records with 5,714 career passing yards, 54 career TD passes, 2,710 single-season passing yards and 25 single-season TD passes. He becomes the third quarterback to commit to Northwestern this offseason, joining Michigan State transfer Aidan Chiles and Johnny O’Brien, a class of 2026 three-star quarterback from Palatine’s William Fremd High School.

The move also places Day in the program of Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the coach under whom he will have the chance to play quarterback. Kelly was Ryan Day’s offensive coordinator at New Hampshire from 1998 to 2001, and 23 years later Ryan Day later brought Kelly to Ohio State as offensive coordinator. That connection gives RJ Day a path into a familiar coaching tree, even as he steps out from under one of the biggest names in college football.

For Northwestern, the commitment adds depth and competition at quarterback after already landing two others this offseason. For RJ Day, it is a chance to build his own résumé at a school that can offer him the ball, the system and a stage without the shadow of his last name defining every snap.