Buckeye nation will watch and rally behind Luke Fahey on Halloween. All while the rest of the nation observes how he leads the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes against USC.
Fahey is trending to become the likely starter for the Saturday showdown in Los Angeles. He faces more than the daunting task of leading OSU past a Trojans team that suddenly has their backs against their wall, and perhaps playing for coach Lincoln Riley’s future.
Fahey must take the reins post Julian Sayin, who won’t take snaps for the remaining regular season games. Halloween night inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum presents the Mission Viejo High School of Orange County, California grad a chance he can lead this team moving forward. And continue to navigate a ship that hopes to make landfall in the national title game.
But one Heisman Trophy contender for the 2026 season glorified Fahey before. His words resurfaced on the eve of Fahey’s biggest football game yet.
Who Praised Luke Fahey Before
The 5-foot-11 quarterback has been around two Heisman contenders, not just Sayin.
Turns out he shares a connection with Notre Dame star signal-caller CJ Carr. Both played for the same 7-on-7 team called Cali Power. Even Carr himself told On3 that Fahey would be one to watch.
“This kid, he’s the next one,” was what Cali Power coach Ryan Porter heard Carr say to him via On3’s Wilson Alexander.
Luke Fahey Built a Strong Recruiting Resume
So Carr himself saw firsthand the efficiency of Fahey. This despite the QB lacking prototypical size at 5-foot-11. Fahey still delivered a decorated career for the renown non-private school powerhouse in the O.C.
Fahey delivered more than 7,000 career passing yards with 68 touchdowns. He suffered just nine interceptions too, posting that production against one of the nation’s toughest schedules that even featured out of state opponents.
Soon national champion Indiana offered. Then Oklahoma State, under the new direction of head coach Eric Morris, made a run. Arkansas offered too before the Razorbacks lured in Ryan Silverfield from Memphis.
But Ohio State ultimately gravitated toward this diminutive yet accurate thrower. OSU clearly saw how Fahey operated this high-powered offense featuring other heralded recruits playing with him, including Miami wide receiver commit Vance Spafford.
Luke Fahey Likely Will Carry a Chip on Shoulder vs. USC
Fahey won’t just be motivated by leading OSU in this emergency situation. Nor will he carry a chip on his shoulder because some fans and analysts are knocking his size.
Fahey likely will have another reason for motivation inside the Coliseum: How USC passed on him.
The 2026 quarterback was among the local passers USC coach Lincoln Riley and his staff chose to pass on, as Fahey never got offered by the Trojans. USC instead flipped Illinois prospect and former four-star Oregon commit Jonas Williams.
Now Halloween serves as the perfect storm for Fahey as he’ll likely earn snaps, even if means sharing with fellow five-star freshman Tavien St Clair. Family and friends are likely making the journey from Mission Viejo to fill the stands. And Fahey gets to face the nearby team that passed on him. This could also show that Carr was right about Fahey becoming “the next one” as CFB’s newest breakout star.
Heisman Contender’s Past Praise for Luke Fahey Emerges Before Ohio State vs. USC