The Ohio State football program is preparing for its first-round College Football Playoff game against Tennessee. While that is going on, players are entering the transfer portal from all across the country. A few Buckeyes have already entered the portal themselves.
Backup quarterback Devin Brown entered the portal but said he is staying with the Ohio State Buckeyes throughout their run in the playoffs. That still left the Buckeyes with four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for next season. Now, they're down to three.
That's because the Buckeyes lost another quarterback to the transfer portal on Monday. That quarterback is freshman Air Noland. Noland was part of the 2024 recruiting class and was a four-star recruit who was the star of the Spring Game. Now, he's heading elsewhere according to Pete Nakos of ON3.
The Ohio State football program loses Air Noland to the transfer portal
Noland is a lefty quarterback, which makes him unique. He certainly has the ability to make plays with his legs as well, which makes him extra dangerous. He has good arm strength as well. Apparently, he doesn't think he'll get a chance at the starting job next year with Will Howard gone.
With Noland out of the picture, that just leaves Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and true freshman Tavien St. Clair as quarterbacks on the roster for next season. None of those players have more than a single game in total experience. Kienholz played the second half of the Cotton Bowl a year ago.
It was expected that Kienholz was going to be the one to transfer. It's a bit of a surprise that Noland didn't wait to see what happens in the Spring. The job must have already been promised to Sayin or St. Clair for him to make a move like this.
We wish Noland nothing but the best in the future. He is going to be a really good quarterback somewhere.