Ryan Day’s quarterback decision is going to be a major talking point coming out of Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Ball State.
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Luke Fahey looks to have won the backup job over Tavien St. Clair
A lot of the chatter over the last few weeks centered on a legitimate quarterback competition for the backup spot behind Sayin. The expectation was that Tavien St. Clair still held that job. He’s a former 5-star recruit and one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class, and he already had a full year in the program under his belt.
That’s what makes Saturday’s development so notable. It wasn’t St. Clair who entered the game as Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback. It was freshman Luke Fahey.
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Fahey has been a bright spot in Ohio State’s freshman class this past offseason, and he asserted himself as a real competitor in the quarterback room throughout fall camp. Listed at just 5-foot-11, Fahey doesn’t fit the prototypical size profile, but his play earned him the opportunity over a player with more experience and recruiting pedigree. Fahey finished 5-of-7 for 62 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception on a Chris Henry Jr. drop.
Even if the backup quarterback job isn’t fully solidified at this point, Fahey clearly owns the lead in that race. For him to leapfrog St. Clair is a significant statement about where things stand in that room.