Ohio State’s quarterback search may already be running into trouble before the portal even really opens up.
With Julian Sayin’s throwing shoulder injury threatening to wipe out what could be his final college season, the Buckeyes could be staring at a depth-chart problem that pushes them toward a veteran transfer for 2027. Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair are there, but there’s clearly uncertainty about whether either is ready to take over if Sayin can’t finish the job.
That’s where the bigger names came into play. Two of the most buzzed-about quarterback possibilities, though, might already be slipping away.
Braden Atkinson, who has turned heads with a breakout season at Oregon State, suddenly looks a lot less available than the rumor mill suggested. The biggest clue came Friday afternoon, when Beavers receiver Jesse Legree said he would be re-signing with Oregon State for the 2027 season. That kind of midseason future-planning has become part of the college football landscape, and it can say plenty about where a quarterback may be headed too.
Atkinson had been an exciting fit to imagine in Columbus, especially with the kind of arm talent Ohio State likes to dream on. He may not have been the perfect match for Arthur Smith’s system, but the idea of him in scarlet and gray had real appeal. That picture, though, may be fading fast.
Arch Manning is another name floating around, but the chatter around him points away from Columbus and toward the SEC. Manning took over the Texas program and opened his run as QB1 with a 14-7 loss to Ohio State at the Shoe in Week 1 of the 2025 season. It would have made for a neat full-circle ending if he someday landed with the Buckeyes, but the latest rumor ties him to Ole Miss instead.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero said on The Bill Simmons Podcast, "Arch could transfer," before adding, "I texted one person who's known Arch for a long time, and I said, 'Where do you see Arch in 2027,' and his response was, 'Ole Miss.'"
For now, that’s all it is: a rumor. Still, it doesn’t sound like one pointing toward the Big Ten.
That leaves Ohio State looking elsewhere, and Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey stands out as the cleanest fit. The Golden Gophers have been better under P.J. Fleck, but they may not be able to outbid a program like Ohio State if this turns into a real portal fight.
Lindsey fits Arthur Smith’s offense the way a Buckeyes quarterback should, and that makes him the kind of player Mark Pantoni and the staff need to keep close tabs on. If Fahey or St. Clair aren’t ready, and if Sayin’s injury ends up pushing him toward the NFL route instead of a return, Ohio State may have to go shopping for a proven arm.
For now, two of the biggest names in the quarterback rumor cycle may already be off the board.
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