The Ohio State Buckeyes are about to lean on a true freshman quarterback for potentially a couple of games. That became clear coming out of Ohio State’s 19-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers, when starting quarterback Julian Sayin was spotted in a sling after the game, just before Ryan Day’s comment. 

Sayin’s status is uncertain, but Ohio State’s head coach said the starter is going to miss at least a couple of weeks. That leaves the Buckeyes in a spot they didn’t plan to be in heading into the second half of the season.

With that being said, the starting quarterback for Ohio State against USC after the bye week will likely be freshman Luke Fahey. It’s a big spot for Fahey, who would be returning home to California for a huge start for the 6-1 Buckeyes.

Luke Fahey is set to take on a big role for Ohio State

Fahey went 0-of-2 passing against Indiana after Sayin went down, and it was a rough showing. Still, it was a tough spot for any freshman to be thrown into in the middle of a close Big Ten game.

Fahey is a former 3-star recruit out of California. He’s a good athlete who might end up being a solid quarterback, and if he were taller than 5-foot-11, he likely would have been a higher-caliber recruit coming out of high school.

It’s not a knock on Fahey that Ohio State is in this position. The bigger issue is what it says about the rest of the quarterback room, and having to rely on the freshman puts a spotlight on a tough reality for the Buckeyes.

Tavien St. Clair’s development is bad news for the Buckeyes

Ohio State seemingly swung and missed on former 5-star recruit Tavien St. Clair, and that’s all-around bad news for the Buckeyes right now. St. Clair is in his second year in Columbus and isn’t the one getting the call with Sayin sidelined.

In the 2025 class, St. Clair was the No. 3 quarterback and No. 4 player nationally, according to 247Sports. The Bellefontaine, Ohio, native was an elite in-state get for Day and the Buckeyes.

On paper, St. Clair has everything you could want. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and he has all the physical tools teams look for at the position. However, he seemingly hasn’t come along the way Ohio State hoped he would.

For a quarterback with that kind of pedigree to be Ohio State’s third option is a tough spot for the program. Fahey simply shouldn’t have to be relied on at this point if St. Clair was the player the Buckeyes expected when he signed.

Bye week comes at a key time for Ohio State

Ohio State is now heading into a key bye week. The Buckeyes need to regroup, get as healthy as they can, and build a game plan around Fahey before the trip to face USC.

The coaching staff is going to have its work cut out for it. Building an offense that plays to Fahey’s strengths as an athlete, without asking him to do too much in his first career start, is going to be key for the Buckeyes on the road.

It has feels like we can easily see where things are going with St. Clair. If he can’t climb past a former 3-star freshman on the depth chart while the starter is hurt, the likelihood of him being on the roster next year feels small. 

Ohio State has bigger goals than simply surviving this stretch. Fahey will be expected to go out and win games for the Buckeyes, who can’t miss a beat, it just won’t be accepted.