The Ohio State football program has its starting quarterback for next season. Julian Sayin was a Heisman Trophy Finalist as a freshman, and he will not be replaced as the starter anytime soon. He will only get better next year now that he has a year of experience under his belt.
Tavien St. Clair was one of the highest-rated recruits in the 2025 recruiting class. The former five-star quarterback recruit didn't get a lot of playing time as a true freshman. After Lincoln Kienholz decided to enter the Transfer Portal, it looked like St. Clair had the inside track to be the backup next year.
That was until the Buckeyes added Justyn Martin from the portal. Martin had been with UCLA and Maryland before winding up in Columbus for next season. He is the current favorite to win the backup job. So, where does that leave one of the best high school quarterbacks in the state of Ohio in recent memory?
What Tavien St. Clair's future with the Ohio State football team looks like
St. Clair has a lot of talent as a quarterback. As a true freshman, he was never going to have a shot to win the starting job this Fall. He knew that coming in, so he didn't have any unrealistic expectations. But he did expect to possibly play in 2027 when Sayin would potentially head to the NFL Draft.
St. Clair was also likely expecting to be the backup next year with Kienholz out of the picture. That might change with Martin in the picture. If St. Clair can't beat out Martin next season for the backup job, there is a chance that he will decide to transfer somewhere else so he can compete for playing time.
Beating out Martin is St. Clair's best hope at staying with the Ohio State Buckeyes and being a future starting quarterback. There's a small shot that Sayin decides to stay with the Buckeyes in 2027, but he is likely gone after next season. That is when St. Clair would compete for the starting job.