Ohio State is set at the quarterback position heading into this season. Julian Sayin is the undisputed starter, and he has a real shot to win the Heisman Trophy. While the starting quarterback position is not a question this year, the backup spot is still a battle, which is an issue.
Tavien St. Clair was the favorite to win the backup quarterback position heading into the Fall. However, Ryan Day made it seem like freshman Luke Fahey had made a push for that spot. Now, it doesn't look like that gap has widened, which is a big issue.
Ryan Day is not ready to name a backup quarterback for 2026
While talking to the media, Day said he is not ready to name a backup QB for this season. He continues to say that Fahey and St. Clair are still battling it out a couple of weeks before Week 1 arrives against Ball State.
"Those guys are going to continue to work this week. We're not into game week yet, so those guys are still competing. We want another week of work to kind of see how these guys continue to evolve in the next five days, and we'll go from there. Both have shown bright spots, for sure. We know what's important there."
The fact that St. Clair hasn't immediately grabbed this backup job without any problem is deeply concerning. He is a former five-star recruit and is expected to be the starter next season if Sayin leaves early for the NFL. St. Clair looked good in the spring game, which is the only time fans have really gotten to see him.
St. Clair should be the top option to be the backup as a five-star recruit. The fact that Fahey is making things close is not a positive sign for the quarterback situation in 2027, especially if Sayin leaves as he is expected to. If St. Clair wins the backup job, things will calm down.
Ryan Day could be fibbing about Luke Fahey's ascension
Coaches stretch the truth about how close a positional battle is all the time. It wouldn't be surprising if that is what Day is doing in this instance. He might be trying to push more out of St. Clair, and this might be a way to motivate him to do that. He likely wants to see the talent that made St. Clair a five-star recruit.
Fahey was not as highly touted coming out of high school. He was just a three-star recruit coming out of high school, so he shouldn't be at St. Clair's level already. If Fahey is this good, it's a double-edged sword. They are expecting St. Clair to be great, so he needs to be head and shoulders ahead of Fahey.
Both quarterbacks will likely get some playing time during the regular season, especially against Ball State. The Cardinals will likely get crushed in Week 1, so St. Clair and Fahey should get snaps. That could further help the coaching staff determine who needs to be the backup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google