Ohio State's QB for 2025 is on the roster, Ryan Day confirms

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said the team’s quarterback for the 2025 season is already on the roster, indicating that he has no plans to secure another option through the transfer portal.
Naturally, those plans could change if another option comes available in the spring transfer window, but right now Day’s plan is to develop the Buckeyes’ next quarterback from within.
“These guys are going to compete their tail off,” Day said on 97.1 FM in Columbus.
“And we have some good quarterbacks in the system, and, you know, I shared with all of them that you know now, this was the week leading up to the national championship game that you know you had an opportunity to watch.
“And so you got to really utilize that, because that’s exactly what we’re looking for in a leader here at quarterback,” he said.
Will Howard will depart the program after helping Ohio State win the national championship, leaving a huge opening at the most important position.
Right now, those options look very promising: former Alabama five-star transfer Julian Sayin, Lincoln Keinholz, and incoming five-star freshman Tavien St. Clair.
The very early indications would appear to favor Sayin as the heir apparent to Howard, but Day says everyone on the depth chart will get a shot to prove himself.
“When guys come back in about two weeks, you gotta look different, you gotta walk different, you gotta act different, because now you’re fighting to become the starting quarterback at Ohio State,” Day continued.
“We have some really talented guys in that room, and you know, [we’re] looking forward to seeing what the competition brings.”
Whoever inherits the role from Howard will have some of college football’s most talented receivers to work with, as Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are slated to return in 2025.
But will he have offensive coordinator Chip Kelly on hand?
That remains one of Ohio State’s most pertinent questions on its football staff going forward.
The team already lost defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who took the same position with Big Ten rival Penn State this offseason.
And now all eyes are on Kelly to see if he follows suit and moves on to the NFL or another program.
Until then, the Buckeyes are focused on developing their QB1 from within.
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