Ohio State has faced many players on opposing sidelines who hailed from the great state of Ohio. One of those players happened to be Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who was a five-star prospect out of high school in Mendina, Ohio. Allar chose to go out of state to Pennsylvania and play for the Nittany Lions, but it didn't seem like the Buckeyes were all that upset to see him go.
They proved that each time Ohio State's defense shut Allar down on the field. For Ohio State and Penn State's matchup this week, Allar will not be on the field due to a season-ending injury vs. Northwestern. So instead, Ohio State will face another quarterback they let go from the great state of Ohio, Ethan Grunkemeyer.
The former four-star quarterback grew up just outside of Columbus, and will now return close to home to play against the Buckeyes as the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State QB Ethan Grunkemeyer, who grew up outside Columbus, on returning home to face Ohio State:
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) October 28, 2025
"Since I was a kid, I dreamed about playing in that stadium, so it's gonna be cool to go back home & be able to have the chance to do that. ... The opportunity to play in front…
Grunkemeyer was another quarterback that Ohio State has tried to recruit, but they were okay seeing him walk and commit to Penn State, and now, they just might show why Julian Sayin was their guy over Ethan Grunkemeyer.
Both Sayin and Grunkemeyer were in the same recruiting class, although Sayin did pick the Crimson Tide out of high school. He did find his way to the right place with the Buckeyes after he entered the transfer portal in January of 2024 when Nick Saban retired. So, in reality, Sayin has been a Buckeye through and through.
Grunkemeyer will get a chance to play in a stadium he grew up playing in this weekend in front of friends and family, but it may not end the way he hopes it does. Ohio State is coming into this game as the clear favorite, as the Nittany Lions have yet to win a game in Big Ten play.