Air Noland’s path has hit another rough stretch, and this one may have closed the door on his last realistic shot to win a college starting job.
The former Ohio State quarterback, who arrived as the lone high school QB in the Buckeyes’ 2024 recruiting class, has now transferred twice since leaving Columbus. He moved on to South Carolina after Ohio State won the national championship in 2024, and now at Memphis, he appears to have fallen behind Marcus Stokes in the battle for the starting role.
If that report holds up, it marks a steep slide for a player who once looked like a promising addition for Ohio State. Noland did flash in the Spring Game during his lone year with the Buckeyes, but beyond that, there wasn’t much to point to. He also never got into a real competition for the starting job at South Carolina.
Even if he had stayed at Ohio State, the path was never going to be easy. Julian Sayin was already in place, and Noland likely would not have had a realistic chance to beat him out.
The bigger concern now is the direction of Noland’s career overall. He came in as a four-star recruit, but if he truly has lost out to Stokes - a quarterback who has never attempted a pass - that says plenty about where things stand.
With college players now able to spend five years in the sport, Noland still has time to try to salvage things. But the window is getting tight. If he can’t win the job at Memphis, it’s fair to ask where he would have a legitimate opportunity to start.
For Ohio State, though, the quarterback picture looks far more settled. Sayin could still be back next season if he doesn’t have an elite year in 2026, and if he moves on, the Buckeyes still have options.
Tavien St. Clair is widely expected to take over, though he is still fighting Luke Fahey for the backup role.
Either one could be in the mix to start in 2027.
Brady Edmunds is also set to arrive as a true freshman next season, giving Ryan Day another name to work with. And if none of those answers sticks, Day has shown he’s willing to go back to the portal.
That has worked well for him before, with Justin Fields, Will Howard and Sayin all coming through the transfer route. Even when the high school side hasn’t gone perfectly, Ohio State has had enough success in the portal to keep the position stocked.
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