The Ohio State Buckeyes generally have a very strong quarterback present as well as a very strong QB future.
Julian Sayin’s injury has changed that and thrown everything into a bit of disarray.
The future was already a little uncertain for Ohio State, and now the present is, too.
Sayin is out “indefinitely” and certainly is out for Saturday’s game at USC.
With Sayin out, the Buckeyes have two options: Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair.
Head coach Ryan Day isn’t giving anything away.
“Both will be ready to play,” Day told reporters on Wednesday. “Guys on the team have confidence that if both were put in the game, that they can do their job.”
It’s fair enough for Day to keep things close to his chest here, but it’s also raising the point that Ohio State has murky QB waters ahead no matter what happens with this decision.
Ohio State’s QB Uncertainty
This isn’t so much about this week or even the rest of the season but about future seasons.
Sayin will be eligible to leave for the 2027 NFL Draft if he wants, but coming off injury, it’s not clear which direction he would potentially go on that decision.
Then you’ve got Fahey and St. Clair, one of whom will earn more favor in the coming weeks than the other. If one sits most of the time the rest of the way, it seems likely that they’d transfer, particularly if it’s the former five-star St. Clair.
And on the flip side, whoever is given the bulk of the playing time will also be playing for their job next season.
Ohio State QB Transfer
Because of all the uncertainty, a transfer is definitely in play.
Particularly if Sayin leaves for the NFL, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Ohio State go into the portal for a quarterback.
“There are schools like Oklahoma State (Drew Mestemaker), Notre Dame (CJ Carr) and Missouri (Austin Simmons) that will have to wait to see what their quarterbacks decide when it comes to the NFL Draft,” The Athletic’s Manny Navarro and Antonio Morales wrote this week. “Ohio State is also in this category, especially after the season-ending injury to Julian Sayin. Luke Fahey, who replaced Sayin after the injury in the Indiana game, and/or Tavien St. Clair, who was a five-star recruit, will have an opportunity to prove themselves over the final month-plus of the season.”
St. Clair could be a costly missed opportunity given that he’s a five-star recruit from Bellefontaine, Ohio who stayed home. Fahey’s family is a multi-generation Ohio State fanbase — maybe he would stay no matter what.
But if Sayin leaves, or if his health is in question, don’t put it past Ohio State to add QB depth. The portal is usually full of it, and it could help Ohio State gain some future confidence this time around.
Considering that transfer QB Will Howard led Ohio State to a national championship, they won’t be opposed to hitting that well again.
Ohio State QB Decision For Future Includes Transfer Possibility