Ohio State Quarterback Notebook: 'We're just a long way away'

Fess Up

Ohio State may be in the middle of a quarterback battle right now, but OSU quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler would put that battle way more towards the very beginning rather than the middle.

The Buckeyes wrapped up their second spring practice on Wednesday. As was the case for the first practice — and as is expected throughout all of spring — quarterbacks Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tavien St. Clair all shared the reps equally.

Nobody is expecting a starting quarterback to be named in the spring, but that’s never going to stop a coach from being asked about it by a group of reporters. Following Wednesday’s practice, Fessler was indeed asked how close the competition actually is right now.

“Yeah, I think that we’re just a long way away from even talking about how close it is,” he said. “Right now, those three guys are really just focused on getting better every single time they step in this building, in meeting rooms, step out on the field on practice. And that’s really the goal, is just finding a way to improve every single time that we’re out here, to finding a way to develop some consistency.”

Fessler did offer up some encouraging news, however, before bringing the situation back down to earth.

“I thought going out there today, all three of them did stuff that at points throughout practice, we get really excited about,” he said. “And that was awesome to see. Now, we’ve got a long way to go because it’s about doing consistently. And there’s other times of practice where all three of them had plays that they probably wish they had back.

“So it’s such an important time of the year. It’s so exciting for those guys to continue to grow and get these opportunities every time that they walk out on the field to get a little bit better. It’s gonna be really critical to their development.”

Lincoln Kienholz Looking To Lead

As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Lincoln Kienholz didn’t get to throw a pass in a game. He was the fourth-team quarterback, which limited his opportunities. Despite that lack of on-field experience last year, Kienholz still finds himself as the elder statesman of the quarterback room.

He is more comfortable than he’s ever been because none of this is new. The progression is a constant process, but he also knows what head coach Ryan Day wants to see out of him most this spring.

“I would say be more a leader,” Kienholz said. “Just be a guy your teammates can look up to on fourth-and-two to go make a play, get the first down, keep the drive going, stuff like that. And also be more consistent.”

Kienholz has also continued to grow physically since he arrived in the summer of 2023, and for good reason.

“Yeah, honestly, I felt small,” he said. “I was 185 pounds and now I’m like 212, 210, around there.”

Tavien St. Clair Already Leading

Tavien St. Clair may technically be a true freshman quarterback but he’s been around the Ohio State program and inside the football building enough that he could host private tours if needed.

He was one of the many early enrollees who was able to travel with the Buckeyes throughout their national championship run last year. It gave him a great insight into last year’s team and the kind of work it took to make it happen.

“Just being able to see what it’s like to persevere through the whole season that they went through and their story, and just be able to knit together and be close together as a brotherhood really showed last season,” St. Clair said on Wednesday in his first interview session as an Ohio State Buckeye.

“I think that’s going to be super crucial for us in our future. We’re all really tight already, so getting to be a part of that and coming out successful was definitely something that we see it and we got to see it live, so we know that that’s the kind of standard every year.”

Julian Sayin Ready And Willing

As all three Ohio State quarterbacks work towards being the leader that this team needs, they can all draw upon what they saw last year from starting quarterback Will Howard.

Howard has become a near-legend around Ohio State for his ability to lead and keep everybody calm in the huddle. It’s a process that Howard took seriously a year ago when he arrived in January, and it’s one that Julian Sayin watched first-hand.

“Yeah, Will was a really great leader for this team and it was fun to watch,” Sayin said on Wednesday. “I mean, he was someone who everyone kind of could relate to and was liked by everyone. I think if you went around the Woody and asked about Will Howard, everyone had good things to say about him. So I think that’s something that I’m trying to take that approach.”

Is that easy to do?

“It’s definitely not easy, but it’s something I’ve been working on,” he said.

But is he liked by everyone?

“I hope so,” he said with a chuckle. “You try to. When you’re in the building, you try to leave a good impression or impact on everyone in the building.”