What To Expect From Luke Fahey For Buckeyes Moving Forward

With Sayin out for several weeks, the Buckeyes now will look to freshman Luke Fahey to guide the Buckeyes offense for the foreseeable future.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Luke Fahey (13) runs the ball in the second half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Buckeyes 2026 season got turned on its head in the fourth quarter of their 19-15 win over Indiana this past Saturday.

There isn't much college tape on Fahey; he has only appeared in three games this season and two of those were during big wins against Ball State and Kent State. That other appearance was against Indiana, when he had to be thrown into the fire and try to secure a big win for the Buckeyes.

The only tape that we have on Fahey is from his time at Mission Viejo High School in California where he only started one full season for them. In that one season though, he shined.

Fahey came out of high school being known for having a good arm. He finished his four-year high school career with 7,021 yards, 68 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Luke Fahey (13) lines up behind offensive lineman Luke Montgomery (51) and offensive lineman Ian Moore (69) during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

His senior year is where he truly shined for Mission Viejo.

This was the lone year that Fahey was at the helm full-time, as his sophomore and junior year he split snaps. In that senior year, Fahey completed 207 of his 292 passes for 3,199 yards. 25 of those 207 completions found the end zone as well.

Fahey was able to beat out Tavien St. Clair for the backup spot and is now propelled into the starting role with the Sayin injury.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Tavien St. Clair (9) warms up prior to the NCAA football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

So what should Buckeye fans expect from him going forward?

Luckily, Fahey has the bye week to get first-team reps before going on the road to take on the Trojans on Halloween. This will be key to getting him used to the play calls and even giving him enough reps to let him show off his arm throughout the game.

If needed, the Buckeyes run game has started to really find its footing, so Fahey and Arthur Smith can rely on that if he starts to struggle throwing the football.

Ryan Day obviously trusts the freshman; now it's time for him to make a name for himself at the next level.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day leads warm ups during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Sayin is one of the best guys in college football to sit behind and learn from. He is composed and commands the offense well. Hopefully, Fahey has soaked up all of the information that he could from Sayin.

Fahey's arm should excite all fans in Columbus; what will be the biggest roadblock for him to get through is being confident. If he is confident and takes control of the offense well, the Buckeyes can continue with the great season that they have already had.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Luke Fahey (13) enters the game after an injury to Julian Sayin during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Buckeyes have been National Championship favorites the entire season, they still have all the talent in the world to win it all. They now have to build up their freshman quarterback to help them climb back to the top of the mountain.