Tavien St. Clair vs. Luke Fahey: Who Should Start at QB for Ohio State?

Who should start at quarterback for Ohio State, Tavien St. Clair or Luke Fahey?

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterbacks, from left, Justyn Martin (16), Julian Sayin (10), Tavien St. Clair (9) and Luke Fahey (13) throw during football training camp inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on Aug. 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ohio State will return from its bye in Week 9 to take on USC on the road, but there is one main question about the Buckeyes: who is starting at quarterback?

With Julian Sayin likely out for the season, the ball now shifts to Tavien St. Clair and Luke Fahey.

St. Clair is a redshirt freshman at Ohio State, while Fahey is a true freshman. Fahey has been the second-string quarterback all season and came in for Sayin during the Week 7 win over Indiana. But will Fahey start when Ohio State heads to Southern California?

Who should start for Ohio State: St. Clair or Fahey?

Many people will look at both St. Clair's and Fahey's high school recruiting profiles and pick St. Clair as the starter since he has more upside.

247Sports ranked St. Clair No. 4 overall and No. 3 quarterback in the 2025 high school recruiting class. He is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, which is a lot different from Fahey.

Fahey is on the smaller side, standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 206 pounds, and 247Sports ranked him the 38th quarterback in the 2026 high school class as a three-star recruit.

But the game isn’t played off your high school recruiting ranking, and you can ask Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 class, who has already been benched.

Since the Buckeyes trust Fahey as the No. 2 QB, they have to trust him to start.

Fahey may be better prepared for high-level competition, as he was the quarterback at Mission Viejo High School in California, which plays in the state's top division. He faced schools like Mater Dei, a high school football powerhouse, and players like Bryce Young, who attended that school and went on to play for the Carolina Panthers, so you can tell how legit the program is.

St. Clair attended Bellefontaine High School in Ohio, which is a Division III school. The level of competition St. Clair faced is quite different from what Fahey has experienced, and that could be why St. Clair might not be ready just yet.

Ohio State doesn't need a superstar quarterback, given the talent on its roster. The Buckeyes need someone who can perform on time and make smart decisions, and Fahey could be that guy.

The Buckeyes should start Fahey at quarterback and let him take the reins until he shows he can't handle the position.