Buckeye Weekly Podcast: Is It Realistic To Expect A Quarterback Signee To Ever Become A Starter?

It is great to sign a 5-star quarterback, but how realistic is it to ever expect that player to become a starting quarterback for your team? In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss this topic, looking back on Ryan Day’s quarterback recruiting at Ohio State and how often it has led to a starting quarterback.

They then discuss the likelihood of the current quarterback room producing multiple starters. The fellas also explore the possibility of Chip Kelly coming to Ohio State, the failings of assistant coaches at Ohio State over the years, and more.

Rundown

• Ohio State football’s National Signing Day and offseason developments. 0:00
  • Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the Ohio State football program and college football in general, with Tom “expressing frustration” at the lack of an offseason.
  • The hosts discuss Dominic Kirk’s signing.
• Ohio State football coaching staff changes. 4:25
  • Ryan Day talks about Bill O’Brien’s impact on the program.
  • Tony mentions Chip Kelly as a potential replacement for Bill O’Brien, highlighting his experience and success as a head coach.
  • Tom adds that Kelly has been linked to NFL positions and may be seeking a fresh start, potentially as an offensive coordinator or head coach.
  • The interpersonal dynamic between Kelly and Ryan Day, with Kelly serving as a mentor and Day as the head coach, could be an interesting aspect of the situation.
• Ohio State football coaching staff and success. 10:19
  • Ryan Day emphasizes the opportunity of coaching at Ohio State, where he believes the resources and talent are unparalleled.
  • Tom agrees that Ohio State has the best resources for success, but notes that if the coaching staff can’t develop players, they likely won’t be successful elsewhere.
  • Tom mentions several former Ohio State assistant coaches who have been fired at OSU yet gone on to various levels of success at other schools, including Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, and Kerry Coombs.
  • Orr questions whether there are any other former Ohio State assistants who have been “wildly successful” elsewhere, citing examples such as Al Washington and Matt Barnes.
• Coaching staff changes and hiring processes in college football. 16:16
  • Gerdeman notes that internal and external hires have had varying levels of success at Ohio State, and that sometimes coaches need time to adjust to their new roles.
  • Tony questions the length of time Corey Dennis spent as quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, citing inconsistent results and limited opportunities for advancement.
  • Tom agrees, citing the lack of significant offensive coordinator roles for Dennis despite his experience at Ohio State.
• College football quarterback transfers and starting opportunities. 22:48
  • Tony questions the realism of expecting quarterbacks signed in a single signing class to start for Ohio State, citing the transfer portal and NFL draft as factors.
  • Tom provides a rough estimate of 2/10 (20%) of the top quarterback recruits in recent classes finishing their careers at their initial signing school.
  • Tom discusses the challenges of predicting who will start at quarterback for Ohio State, citing the rare occurrence of a three-year starter becoming a top 10 NFL Draft pick.
  • Orr notes that if a quarterback is not a starter after two years, they are likely to transfer, and only a few have started for Ohio State since 2020 (Justin Fields, CJ Stroud, and Kyle McCord).
• College football quarterback recruitment and uncertainty. 28:34
  • Tony discusses Ohio State’s quarterback situation, highlighting the program’s success in recruiting high school quarterbacks and the potential for new stars to emerge.
  • Ohio State’s quarterback recruiting challenges are unpredictable and depend on timing.
• Ohio State quarterbacks and their chances of starting. 31:49
  • Tony questions the odds of Air Noland or Julian Sayin starting for Ohio State, with Tom suggesting it’s better than 50/50 that one of them will start at some point.
  • Tom provides examples of number one overall picks in the Major League Baseball draft who did not make the Hall of Fame, highlighting the uncertainty of draft success.
  • Tom discusses the quarterback position at Ohio State, noting that the odds are against players starting games as true freshmen and that the room will change considerably in the next year.
  • Tom and Tony discuss the difficulty of predicting which quarterbacks will start games, with Tom wondering if there has been a year when more than 50% of the quarterbacks on the roster started a game at Ohio State.
  • Tom and Tony plan to analyze the data on quarterback success at Ohio State in the future, with Tony mentioning that he will “get a spreadsheet ready” for the summer to examine the numbers more closely.

Go to discussion...