After losing quarterback Will Howard to the NFL Draft this past weekend, the Ohio State Buckeyes look to figure out who will be their next starting quarterback. Howard looks to start his NFL career after being selected 185th overall in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ryan Day Provides Key Update on Ohio State’s QB Battle, Tavien St. Clair Status
So far throughout the spring, it looked to be a three-way competition between Lincoln Kineholz, Julian Sayin, and five-star commit Tavien St. Clair. However, early Tuesday afternoon, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day made the quarterback battle a little easier as he took St. Clair out of the running.
Day mentioned that he can see St. Clari’s ability, but he needs more football under his belt.
Day called it a “two-horse race” for Ohio State’s starting QB job after spring practice. He liked what he saw from Kineholz and Sayin and said St. Clair just needs to play more football.
This makes perfect sense and Buckeyes fans should not be angry or shocked with this decision. As the defending champions, there is a lot of pressure to continue to compete for national titles and be in the playoffs.
As talented as St. Clair is — and Day has even taken notice of his freshman’s skills and abilities — there is too much pressure and too much competition to just throw his freshman phenom to the wolves.
The Big Ten Conference is loaded with tons of talented teams, such as Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Oregon. Three of those four teams were in the College Football Playoff this past season.
Day has a lot of praise for his quarterback but thinks he is just not ready now.
“I think it’s fair to say that Tavien probably has the longest way to go just because of just the lack of experience,” Day said. “I think it’s easy to see – you guys saw it on Saturday, the talent and his ability to run, his athleticism, the arm. He has all those things. He just needs to play more, he needs to see it more.”
What This Means for Lincoln Kineholz and Julian Sayin
Even though it is now official that it is just a two-man race for the starting quarterback role next season, Day mentioned earlier this month that Kineholz and Sayin are neck and neck.
Kineholz, a junior, is vying for the starting quarterback position. The South Dakota prospect has spent his entire collegiate career with the Buckeyes and has gotten to know Day and Brian Hartline’s system. This past season, he played in two games, logging a total of 21 snaps against Michigan State and Minnesota.
Sayin has a different journey compared to Kineholz. The sophomore from California joined the Buckeyes in January 2024 after spending his freshman year with the Alabama Crimson Tide. During his high school recruiting, he was named ESPN’s top-ranked dual-threat quarterback and the No. 1 player in California.
It will be interesting to see what direction Day goes in and who he names the starting quarterback. Since he mentioned they are neck and neck, do not be surprised if this decision takes a while.
While Kineholz has the in-game experience, the size, and familiarity with the program, Sayin was the more highly regarded recruit and potential.
KEEP READING: Ohio State HC Ryan Day’s Epic Reaction to Transfer Portal Closing
Ohio State starts to defend their title against the Texas Longhorns Aug. 30. However, the next two weeks they play Grambling State and Ohio. As those two games should not be close, expect Day to use both quarterbacks.
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