Ohio State’s starting quarterback job is settled, but the backup battle is becoming a storyline the Buckeyes would probably rather not have.
Julian Sayin is locked in as the starter and enters the season with a real shot to win the Heisman Trophy. The bigger question is who stands behind him, and that answer still isn’t clear with Week 1 against Ball State approaching.
Tavien St. Clair opened fall camp as the favorite for the No. 2 job, but Ryan Day has made it clear the competition is still alive. Freshman Luke Fahey has apparently pushed hard enough to keep this from becoming a simple formality, and Day isn’t ready to close the door yet.
“Those guys are going to continue to work this week. We're not into game week yet, so those guys are still competing.
We want another week of work to kind of see how these guys continue to evolve in the next five days, and we'll go from there. Both have shown bright spots, for sure.
We know what's important there.”
That hesitation matters because St. Clair is supposed to be the next guy in line.
He was a five-star recruit, and with Sayin expected to leave early for the NFL, St. Clair is viewed as the likely starter in 2026.
He also flashed in the spring game, which is the main chance fans have had to see him.
That’s why Fahey’s push raises eyebrows. A three-star recruit out of high school, he was never supposed to be this close this quickly. If he really has narrowed the gap, that says something about the depth chart - and not necessarily something comforting for Ohio State’s quarterback future.
It’s also possible Day is keeping the competition open on purpose. Coaches often talk up battles to get more out of a player, and this could be a way to squeeze more from St. Clair and see the talent that made him such a highly regarded recruit in the first place.
There should be chances for both quarterbacks to play once the season starts, especially in a game like Ball State. If the Cardinals get overwhelmed as expected, St. Clair and Fahey should both get snaps, giving the staff a better look at who belongs in the backup role.
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Ryan Day has already said Boyd will play this season, which matters in a receiver room where playing time figures to be hard-earned. Boyd is now part of a group of six wideouts likely to see the field, and the interesting part is not whether he is in the mix but how far he can push his way into it before the Buckeyes settle on their rotation. [Read more 🡒]