Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Tavien St. Clair is the clear future of the program. Hell, with superior measurables to Julian Sayin, some might push for him to be the present of the program this fall, should things get tough amid a meat-grinder of a schedule. St. Clair is a few inches shorter and has a few pounds on Sayin. By any stretch, he's a superior prospect, on paper, at least.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford believes St. Clair is set to be the next great QB in a long line of them coming from Columbus and finding their way to the NFL once Sayin is ready to pass the Buckeye baton.
"There is no quarterback competition in Columbus this year. Returning Heisman finalist Julian Sayin is firmly entrenched as Ohio State's starter, but that says more about Sayin than the talent behind him. St. Clair, a five-star prospect in the loaded 2025 quarterback class, looks like the next name in the Buckeyes' quarterback pipeline that has produced college stars like C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, Dwayne Haskins, and J.T. Barrett. His limited college sample as a redshirt freshman -- just 12 snaps and two incomplete pass attempts -- hardly says anything about his long-term outlook. At Bellefontaine (Ohio), St. Clair threw for more than 10,000 yards and 104 touchdowns in four seasons, reinforcing why many view him as Ohio State's quarterback of the future," Crawford wrote.
Somebody needs to send this to 4-star Huntington Beach (CA) commit Brady Edmunds. If waiting too long to play is his hangup about the Ohio State University, well, he may not have to wait all that long to get his shot.
Tavien St. Clair building NFL hype should sway Brady Edmunds to stay
We live in a world now where QBs will stay an extra year in college to ensure being NFL-ready. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, was in college for four years, starting two for the Cal Golden Bears and, obviously, one for the national champion Indiana Hoosiers. Arch Manning is heading into his fourth year with the Texas Longhorns, and his second as the starter.
That's not going to be the path that every QB takes, though. St. Clair has the physical profile of someone who can handle NFL hits right now, and by the time he's eligible for the 2028 NFL draft, he will have gone through a year in an Arthur Smith offense. That's the equivalent of a year of NFL experience playing against Big Ten defenses that are paid like pros.
This is to say, St. Clair is different. He may have what it takes to declare for the draft after a one-and-done as QB1. Edmunds, or whoever is his primary backup next year, should see the job as wide open in 2028. Or at least keep his mind open to the fact that the job could open sooner than expected.
Staying on the West Coast does sound like a nice idea, until you're running out of the tunnel for the UCLA Bruins with a 25%-capacity crowd at the Rose Bowl. Winters are far harsher in Chicago than in Central Ohio, too, on the topic of the Northwestern Wildcats.
Edmunds has many reasons to stick with his Buckeyes commitment. St. Clair could give him a very good one if he continues his upward trajectory and heads for the NFL exit early.
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