Ohio State Football: Who is the best fit at QB in 2024?
By Ryan Stano
![Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) throws during warm-ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium. Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown (33) throws during warm-ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/64c9e93c378ffd885e1a72af52b68a7bdbd74ae2dd7ced948c60c2f11be57dff.jpg)
The Ohio State football team has a decision to make on who will be the quarterback next season. Kyle McCord is no longer an option now, so the question is whether or not to grab a quarterback from the transfer portal or rely on who’s already on the roster.
We know who the Buckeyes have been in contact with in the portal. Who is the best fit though? Would Riley Leonard be the guy who makes the most sense? Would Cam Ward? Or would Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, or Air Noland be the right decision for Ryan Day?
I will say right off the bat that choosing Noland would be a shocker and something I can’t see Day doing. His seat is flaming heading into next year after having lost to TTUN for three consecutive years. He’s not going to entrust the future of his job with a true freshman.
That’s another reason why I think the most likely option is one of the quarterbacks from the portal. With Dillion Gabriel off the board, that leaves Leonard and Ward as the top two QBs left in the portal. Which one of those guys fits better with Ohio State’s system?
Personally, I think Leondard is the best choice. He has the most pure talent and is more of a threat in the run game. When he was healthy in 2022, he put up some huge numbers. Imagine what he could do with the crop of five-star receivers he’d be throwing to in Columbus.
Ward isn’t a bad option if Leonard does decide to go somewhere else. He played in the best conference in the country this past season and put up good numbers too. The problem was the amount of turnovers he had. He had 14 of them. That’s not something Day is going to like. He also left the Buckeyes off his most recent list, so he might not even be an option anymore.
Next. OSU might have a transfer QB pecking order. dark
Of all of the realistic options, Leonard fits the best. It’s just a question of whether or not the Ohio State football program can seal the deal.