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When the 2025 campaign concluded, many expected the Ohio State Buckeyes to maintain Heisman candidate quarterback Julian Sayin. There was no questioning that.
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But what did become a pretty large discussion was: who would become Sayin’s backup, especially as Lincoln Keinzholz announced that he would enter the transfer portal and leave the program.
After the first six weeks of the 2026 campaign, though, that question has been answered.
And who sits behind Sayin is pretty unexpected.
Which begs a new question: what happened to Tavien St. Clair?
Enter Luke Fahey
The 5-foot-11, 206-pounder has started his college career off on a quick note, getting a few big-time reps under center as a true freshman.
He has played in three games and has thrown for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 11 attempts, completing nine passes. Averaging a whopping 18.5 yards per attempt, Fahey is slinging the rock at an impressive rate.
He played against Ball State, Kent State and the University of Maryland.
Joining the Buckeyes as a three-star recruit, he wasn’t expected to immediately come in and climb the depth chart at such a rapid rate. But as his numbers show, he is ready to give the Buckeyes everything he’s got in limited opportunities.
Initially, there seemed to be no debate that St. Clair, who is redshirt freshman, would be the backup quarterback.
However, Fahey has not just impressed on gameday, but in practice and behind the scenes.
Back in early August, head coach Ryan Day shared that the true freshman has been competing really well against St. Clair, and that he was making up ground fast.
“He’s been really doing a great job. He’s putting a lot of pressure on Tavien,” Day said in mid-August. “He really is. He’s been competing. He’s been making plays… So, that’s been exciting to see him come in with a certain work ethic, run the offense at a pretty high level.
“We’ll see how the rest of the camp plays out, but good to see him kind of step in and push Tavien.”
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Those comments proved to be more than just a bit of preseason coach-speak, especially when looking at them present day.
Why Hasn’t St. Clair Taken That Next Step?
Playing in two games this season, St. Clair has gone 5-for-7 for 52 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He suited up for the team in the season opener against Ball State, but hasn’t received much time on the gridiron since.
He was given a chance to play against Kent State a few days later, but threw an interception on one attempt.
Just a season ago, it seemed like the sky was the limit for St. Clair. After all, he did produce 10,000+ passing yards and 100 touchdowns in his high school career at Bellefontaine.
The issue isn’t necessarily that St. Clair is a bad quarterback, nor that he cannot develop into a college-level contributor, but that Fahey has appeared to be developing at a faster rate and taking advantage of the limited looks he gets.
Quarterbacks can’t just have strong arms, flashy legs or impressive rankings; they need to be able to command an offense, learn quickly and earn the trust of teammates and coaching staff members. So far, Fahey seems to be checking all of those boxes.
Only time will tell if St. Clair can make up some ground and retake the No. 2 spot in the depth chart, or if he can vault his way to the top after the season comes to a close.
But for now, Fahey is stealing the spotlight, and it doesn’t seem like he plans to step out of it anytime soon.
Today’s best reads
- Ryan Day Says Julian Sayin’s Triple Coverage Throw Can’t Become a Habit
- This Ohio State Star Could Be the Heisman Candidate Nobody Is Talking About
- Julian Sayin had One Regret About His Big Throw to Jeremiah Smith
- Julian Sayin Could Put the College Football World on Notice Against Maryland
- Ryan Day Teases Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith Over Unstoppable Trait
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ohiostate as What Happened to Tavien St. Clair? Ohio State Has a Major Quarterback Question.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM.