Ohio State’s QB race is down to two options, Ryan Day reveals
The battle to start at quarterback for Ohio State is down to two candidates, as Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz have separated from freshman Tavien St. Clair, head coach Ryan Day said.
“I think it’s fair to say that Tavien probably has the longest way to go just because of the lack of experience,” Day told reporters this week.
“I think it’s easy to see. 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. The game’s just moving really fast for him right now, but he’s picking it up. He’s getting it every day.”
Day added: “I’d say he probably has the farthest way to go and then Lincoln and Julian are pretty much neck-and-neck right now.”
Sayin has been considered the leader in the room, given his previous ranking as a five-star prospect when he committed initially to Alabama before transferring to Ohio State following the retirement of Nick Saban.
His continued presence on the roster amid some other high-profile exits, of Air Noland to South Carolina and Devin Brown to Cal, seemed to indicate that Sayin was the leader for the position.
But the Buckeyes like what they see from Kienholz, whose play has proven he doesn’t want to lose his place on the depth chart as the team looks to defend its national championship in 2025.
St. Clair is the No. 4 overall recruit and No. 3 quarterback in the country, according to an average of the four national recruiting services’ rankings.
Whoever inherits the role from Howard will have some of college football’s most talented receivers to work with, as Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are slated to return in 2025.
