In the moments following Ohio State’s narrow win over Indiana in Bloomington on Saturday, Buckeyes starting quarterback Julian Sayin found a different QB on the sideline to embrace.
Sayin had to give his hug while wearing a sling on his right arm, because he hadn’t finished the game due to injury. The guy he was hugging, Luke Fahey, had closed it out at quarterback for Ohio State.
It was a sight filled with emotion, but also one that Buckeyes fans would’ve never wanted to see this season. If Sayin is forced to miss some chunk of time, it throws everything into disarray.
Ohio State’s roster is loaded and can likely tread water even without Sayin, but it certainly wasn’t part of the plans.
Fahey wasn’t even the favorite to be the backup entering camp over the summer, but he was who Ryan Day called upon Saturday to help close out the win.
Will Luke Fahey Start if Julian Sayin is Out?
Nothing is a given here, and Ohio State gets a break by having a bye on Saturday, Oct. 24 before returning to play USC the following week.
But given that Fahey was the first man in the game after Sayin was hurt, that would favor him to start if Sayin remains out by the time the Trojans game arrives.
But the Buckeyes have indicated in their actions that Fahey will be Sayin’s replacement, and until something else proves otherwise, that’s the logical thing to expect.
“(Fahey’s) got confidence,” Day told reporters after Saturday’s win. “He’s got athletic ability. He’s a competitive kid.”
Who is Luke Fahey?
Fahey is a true freshman quarterback for the Buckeyes.
He was a four-star recruit from Mission Viejo, California.
At Mission Viejo HS, he threw for more than 7,000 yards in his career. He had a game with 569 passing yards.
He threw for 68 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in his high school career.
Fahey also played lacrosse and basketball. Between his sophomore and junior lacrosse seasons, Fahey scored 68 goals.
He is majoring in real estate at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes’ official website lists Fahey at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds.
Against Indiana, Fahey went 0-for-2 passing and ran once for eight yards and took a sack for minus-10 yards.
The tricky part for Ohio State will be transitioning from just having Fahey protect a lead to having Fahey go win games for himself. That’s the one area that there will be quite a bit of uncertainty about.
But until Ohio State signals otherwise, Fahey will be the QB that all eyes are on in the weeks ahead.
What Makes Luke Fahey Ohio State’s Starting QB After Julian Sayin Injury