Ohio State may have found a way to make its scout-team quarterback matter.
Justyn Martin arrived in Columbus this offseason after stops at Maryland and UCLA, and the Buckeyes brought him in as a veteran presence who could help sharpen the offense in practice. But after watching Martin’s athleticism up close, Ryan Day is openly entertaining the idea of using him in a real-game package.
“[He’s] one of those guys that I wish we had a little more time with,” Day said on his radio show Thursday. “You have to embrace your role. You may not always like your role, but when you’re there, you’ve got to go do whatever you can.
“Then maybe catch somebody’s eye like, ‘Hey, maybe there’s some things we can do with this guy in a package down the road.’”
That’s a notable shift for a program that already has a clear starter in Julian Sayin, the reigning Heisman Trophy finalist who has held the job since the start of the 2025 season. It also fits a pattern Ohio State has shown before: when there’s a useful quarterback skill set on the roster, the Buckeyes aren’t afraid to test it in specific situations.
Last season, with Lincoln Kienholz backing up Sayin, Ohio State used him in a variety of spots. Kienholz logged 62 offensive snaps, most of them in blowout wins, but he also saw action in short-yardage situations. Day was even prepared to use him against Michigan before a penalty altered the situation and left Ohio State more comfortable keeping Sayin in the game.
That context matters because Martin’s college résumé is similarly limited. Kienholz entered the 2025 season with only 68 collegiate snaps. Martin has 84 offensive snaps and one career start.
The depth chart behind Sayin is already set for now, with freshman Luke Fahey listed as the backup and sophomore Tavien St. Clair third. Still, Martin’s practice work has made enough of an impression that his path could be different from what was expected when he arrived.
“I would say because of the way he’s embraced that role, the conversation has come up,” Day said. “If it continues to go down that [road], he’s going to almost force us to look into some of those things.”
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For Ohio State fans, the contrast lands cleanly. Ryan Day has made his own standard public and unmistakable, setting a much higher bar for the Buckeyes than simply stacking victories and keeping people content. So while Cignetti was managing the temperature in Bloomington, his comments served as a useful backdrop for what Ohio State expects of itself, and why the conversation in Columbus usually starts where other programs hope to finish. [Read more 🡒]