Spring Recap: Ohio State Quarterback Battle Is Still Up In The Air

With spring football now in the rearview mirror for Ohio State, it’s time to look back at what happened with each position group and where things currently stand for the Buckeyes. We continue our series with the quarterbacks.

Quick Position Overview

There are only three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Redshirt freshman Julian Sayin was third in the pecking order last year behind starter Will Howard and backup Devin Brown. Howard is off to the NFL and Brown is off to Cal. Redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz was the No. 4 QB last year and didn’t throw a pass. Tavien St. Clair is a true freshman and has more upside than anybody else on the depth chart.

Expectations Going In

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day explained the plan before spring ever began. They were going to roll all three quarterbacks evenly throughout camp. Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tavien St. Clair were all going to get even reps throughout camp, and Sayin and Kienholz were expected to rotate with the ones and twos.

Reality Coming Out

Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler followed through on their plans. There was never any real expectation for a starter to be named. The competition will continue into fall camp. Everybody got enough reps to get better, though perhaps nobody made better usage of those reps than Tavien St. Clair. His improvement over the 15 practices was easy to see, despite the two interceptions he threw in the spring game.

Any Surprises?

Based on the way former Buckeyes talked about Julian Sayin back in February at the NFL Combine, it was a bit of a surprise to see the up-and-down nature of Sayin’s play in the spring practices the media attended. It shouldn’t be a surprise any time a redshirt freshman quarterback has some hits and misses in the spring, but there was an expectation of separation between Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz based on the feedback from the NFL-bound Buckeyes, and that was never really the case.

Unanswered Question

Will the Buckeyes look to the portal? Ryan Day generally wants four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. They almost certainly won’t be looking for a starter, but rather a veteran who can step in in an emergency situation. They’ve been able to find that guy in the past, but it’s a unique search. They’d like a veteran with starting experience who no longer expects to start but can handle the offense if the need arises.

So Now What?

Now the work continues. The quarterbacks will now organize and lead throwing sessions with their teammates. They will continue to establish themselves as leaders in everything they do. The goal is to be the first one into the facility and the last one out. Ryan Day wants his quarterbacks to be the toughest and hardest-working players on the team. The effort always needs to be there.

One Concern

What the Buckeyes lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. There is plenty of talent in the quarterback room, but there’s very little experience. The QB with the brightest future may be Tavien St. Clair, but the growing pains for a freshman are best felt on the practice field. The belief is that somebody will be ready to start in week one against Texas, but nobody really knows what that day is going to look like. It’s all theory right now.

Are We Sure?

Are we sure that Julian Sayin is the safe bet to win the job? The majority of the people who cover the team will tell you that they expect Sayin to win the job — including me, but if names and expectations were removed and people only shared their opinions based on what they saw with their own eyes, would their answer still be Julian Sayin? Lincoln Kienholz had his moments during camp, showing off his athleticism and ability to move the chains. He seems to be in this race more than originally anticipated, but some of that viewpoint is based upon faulty expectations of both quarterbacks.

Quotable

“I think that it can definitely be an advantage in just the ability to get the ball to the receivers quickly, but at the same point, you can’t sacrifice arm strength for a quick release. So we’re continuing to work to build that arm strength, to strengthen his core, to work rotationally, because he is such a rotational thrower. So to be able to maximize his movements, both between his lower half and his upper half, so he can get that ball out with enough velocity to be successful. He definitely has a quick release, but there’s so much more to playing the position of quarterback than just having a quick release. So we’re really working through all those other things right now.” — Ohio State quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler on Julian Sayin’s quick release.