Ohio State’s Quarterback Depth Faces Questions Behind Julian Sayin

What Happened

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith enter 2026 as one of college football’s highest-rated duos, with the Buckeyes ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Poll and receiving 40 first-place votes. The concern sits behind Sayin. Former Ohio State quarterback Justin Zwick attended a fall practice and questioned whether freshman Luke Fahey could run the offense if Sayin were unavailable. Fahey is listed at 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds and was a four-star prospect ranked among the nation’s top 25 quarterbacks by 247Sports. Tavien St. Clair is also positioned as an option at quarterback. No Ohio State statement or Ryan Day comment is included in the supplied material.

Why It Matters

• Ohio State’s title outlook depends heavily on Sayin staying available if the current quarterback room lacks a proven replacement.
• A backup must handle snaps, handoffs, reads and the full offense under pressure, not merely enter the game as a recognizable name.
• The Buckeyes’ No. 1 preseason standing leaves little room for quarterback depth to become the failure point.

THE PATE STATE READ

THE PATE STATE READ: Ohio State deserves the No. 1 projection if Sayin and Smith operate as expected, and St. Clair gives the room a more established option than Fahey. The problem is the backup task itself. Zwick’s concern isn’t about asking Fahey to make one throw; it’s about asking him to preserve the offense’s full operation after the starter is gone. That’s a moderate to severe concern right now because the supplied material doesn’t establish a proven emergency answer. This moves Ohio State’s margin a spot, not the earth. The test is whether the next fall practice shows a backup running the offense cleanly in live situations.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• The next Ohio State fall practice: watch whether Fahey or St. Clair handles snaps, handoffs and reads with the first-team operation.
• The next Ohio State quarterback availability update: watch for any official clarification on the depth chart behind Sayin.
• The 2026 season kickoff: watch whether Ohio State has a backup plan that can survive more than a single emergency series.