After two weeks, it doesn’t seem like Ohio State is in a rush to recruit a quarterback through the portal, which might lead to a duel amongst Devin Brown, Air Noland, and Lincoln Kienholz for the starting quarterback position the following season.
Over the last two weeks, a number of quality quarterbacks have entered the transfer portal, but Ohio State hasn’t shown itself as a front-runner for any of them. Riley Leonard, a former quarterback for Duke, was apparently courted by the Buckeyes to come on an official visit, but he ultimately decided to transfer to Notre Dame. Another quarterback who caught the attention of the Buckeyes was former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who later went to Oregon.
Although Ohio State hasn’t pursued former Washington State quarterback Cam Ward hard, he is largely regarded as the best transfer quarterback available and is anticipated to choose between Florida State and Miami after visiting both institutions. Ohio State contacted one of DJ Uiagalelei’s coaches, the former Oregon State quarterback told ESPN, but that was the only communication he had with the Buckeyes. Maalik Murphy, a quarterback for Texas, was rumored to be interested in joining Ohio State if he went through the portal, but Murphy visited Duke, South Carolina, and Oregon State over the weekend, so there hasn’t been any sign of interest from the Buckeyes.
Why is Ohio State not making a bigger effort to sign a quarterback on a transfer? The main explanation for that could be as simple as the fact that Ohio State’s current quarterbacks are clearly inferior than any quarterbacks listed on the portal.
Although Ohio State does not currently have a known commodity at quarterback due to McCord’s departure for Syracuse, the Buckeyes do have some quality quarterbacks on their roster.
Brown was Ohio State’s top overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, according to On3, and he impressed them enough throughout the offseason to keep the fight for the starting quarterback going into the first two weeks of the regular season. Ryan Day has praised Kienholz for his growth in his first year as a Buckeye and he was selected the 2022–2023 high school boys’ athlete of the year by USA TODAY. Noland, a composite five-star prospect in the 2024 class, is scheduled to sign with Ohio State this week.
Given that Ohio State does not currently have a quarterback on its roster who has started a collegiate game, there is an argument to be made that the Buckeyes should bring in a transfer to compete with those quarterbacks for the starting job next season. Bringing in any quarterback to potentially start could give Ohio State’s current quarterbacks reason to consider following McCord out the door – and could necessitate arranging a significant NIL deal for the new quarterback – so the Buckeyes don’t want to take that risk for a QB they don’t believe would be an upgrade.
There’s always the chance that Ohio State’s strategy will shift if the right quarterback becomes available, and fascinating options have been entering the portal as recently as this weekend. Five-star prospect Malachi Nelson entered the portal on Sunday after one year at USC, which is expected to bring in former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard – another quarterback whose name was linked to Ohio State but did not visit the Buckeyes. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, who accumulated over 9,000 yards of total offense as a dual-threat three-year starter for the Razorbacks, is a seasoned veteran who could be worth considering after entering the gateway on Saturday.
What is clear from Ohio State’s approach to the first two weeks of the winter transfer window – not just at quarterback but across the board – is that the Buckeyes will not force an addition if they are not confident it is the proper fit.
As things stand, there’s a good chance that Ohio State will begin 2024 with the three of Brown, Kienholz, and Noland as its scholarship quarterbacks. There will be competition between those quarterbacks in the spring, or at least between Brown and Kienholz as Noland adjusts to life as a college football player, though Brown could establish himself as the frontrunner for the job if he performs well against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, where he is expected to make his first career start.
“Devin and I got down and discussed it. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Devin to take over this team and run with it,” Day said last week on 97.1 The Fan. “I know he’s very, very excited about that.”
How Brown performs in that game, as well as how both Brown and Kienholz perform in the upcoming bowl practices, might influence if the Buckeyes are comfortable to continue with what they have at quarterback or feel the need to step up their efforts to bring in a transfer. With another transfer window opening in April, Ohio State may potentially acquire a transfer quarterback if Brown, Kienholz, and/or Noland don’t show what they need to see in spring practices.
All of these are reasons why Ohio State hasn’t rushed to add a transfer quarterback and may not do so at all – at least not as a potential starter, as the Buckeyes are likely to look to add a veteran backup for depth purposes, as they did this offseason with Tristan Gebbia and previously with Gunnar Hoak in 2019 and Chris Chugunov in 2018.
Competing for championships is always expected, but exceptional quarterback play has become the expectation at Ohio State, and it’s unclear whether the Buckeyes have a quarterback who can satisfy those expectations in 2024. However, their relative lack of aggression in seeking transfer quarterbacks over the last two weeks implies that they believe at least one of their current quarterbacks can get there.
