08-04-2025
Ryan Day gives telling thoughts on Ohio State quarterback competition
Ryan Day gives telling thoughts on Ohio State quarterback competition
Shortly after winning the College Football Playoff national championship, the Ohio State coaching staff turned their attention to the next season. That's the world we live in, where staying in the past will get you left behind. As the Buckeyes are in the thick of spring practice that will culminate with the annual Spring Game this Saturday, it looks like we have a full-on quarterback battle.
With Will Howard exhausting his last year of eligibility, most presumed five-star prospect Julian Sayin would slide in and seamlessly take the reins. But that doesn't seem to be the absolute lock it was once thought to be. At Saturday's Student Appreciation practice at Ohio State, it was reported by several outlets that quarterback Lincoln Kienholz held his own and even outplayed Sayin in a scrimmage.
Leading up to the Spring Game, Ryan Day gave some telling comments. When asked if Kienholz was still in the competition, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors shared that Day replied "Oh yeah, absolutely." and went on to say that Saying and Kienholz are "pretty much neck-and-neck right now."
It's doubtful that anyone will make a move by the end of spring practice. Day said that "somebody would have to make a significant move" this week to win the starting quarterback role out of spring, but didn't rule it out.
Of course, anyone feeling nervous about Kienholz and basing their opinion on the 2023 Cotton Bowl game against Missouri may be overthinking things. The young man was put in a spot that would have been difficult for any quarterback to succeed. He is a talented kid who has the potential to lead this team.
The battle is going to be fierce... may the best QB win!
