Ohio State may need to shop the transfer portal for a veteran quarterback, but the list of realistic targets is already looking thin.
Julian Sayin’s throwing shoulder injury could shut down what may be his final college season, and if Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair isn’t ready to handle the job, the Buckeyes could be pushed toward an experienced stopgap for 2027.
That’s the theory, anyway. In practice, two of the biggest names tied to that conversation may already be moving out of reach.
Braden Atkinson, the breakout quarterback at Oregon State, has become one of the hottest names floating around the portal chatter. But there was a strong sign Friday afternoon that he may be staying put. Beavers receiver Jesse Legree announced he was re-signing with Oregon State for the 2027 season, a move that suggests Atkinson may not be headed anywhere.
Atkinson always looked like an enticing swing for Ohio State, even if he wasn’t an ideal match for Arthur Smith’s system. A big arm in Columbus would’ve been fun to imagine. That possibility may be fading fast.
Arch Manning is the other name drawing attention, but the talk around him points away from Ohio State and toward the SEC. Manning took over as Texas’ full-time QB1 and opened that run with a 14-7 loss to the Buckeyes in Week 1 of the 2025 season. It would have made for a neat ending if his career circled back to Columbus, but the rumor mill says he may instead follow an Ole Miss path if he leaves Texas.
“Arch could transfer,” NFL insider Tom Pelissero said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “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. And if Manning does leave, the chatter doesn’t have him headed to the Big Ten.
That leaves Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey as the cleaner fit if Ohio State needs to pivot. The Golden Gophers have made progress under P.J. Fleck, but they may not be able to outbid Ohio State if the Buckeyes decide to make a run.
Lindsey is the kind of veteran quarterback who makes sense for Smith’s offense, and he’s the name Mark Pantoni and company should be watching closely if Fahey or St. Clair isn’t ready to take over in Sayin’s absence. If Sayin doesn’t come back and instead turns his attention to the NFL, Ohio State’s need gets even sharper.
So the portal options may be narrowing before Ohio State even gets to the serious part of the search. Two of the biggest names may have already slipped off the board.
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