With the glory of their national championship-winning season slowly giving in to the realities of the present, whispers from the recent Buckeyes summer camp hint at a strategy unfolding behind the scenes. For the 2025 season, Julian Sayin is set to step into the shoes of Will Howard for Ohio State’s title defense. However, the head coach must always have an eye on the future, especially when there is fierce competition for top talent. When it comes to quarterbacks, the future doesn’t necessarily mean the 2026 class.
Has head coach Ryan Day, known for his quarterback prowess, set his eyes on a future chapter already? With the end of the final summer camp, are the future QB replacements already in sight? Insiders Mark Givler and Tom Orr dropped a hint on the June 18 episode of the Buckeyes Tomorrow Morning podcast, suggesting Day’s obsession with depth and competition at quarterback. Could a pair of young guns already be stealing the spotlight?
The recruiting race for Ohio State’s 2028 quarterback class is already heating up. “There were a ton of very very impressive players to see,” said Orr, adding that “there have been two different quarterbacks that I think are kind of towards the top of Ohio State’s board for 2028 right now.” The two names turning heads inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center are Champ Monds and Niemann Lawrence. Both have made multiple visits to Columbus, with coaches Ryan Day and Billy Fessler concentrating on them during the week’s camp and seven-on-seven sessions.
“He is a big-time player… great arm, extremely accurate,” analyst Mark Givler said of Monds, noting that he quarterbacked the “house team” that had a mix of unfamiliar players with no prior chemistry. “He really put on a clinic,” said Givler. With a strong 6’3″–6’4″ frame and pinpoint accuracy, Champ Monds comes from a family of athletes and already looks like a future Power Five star. “His dad played Major League Baseball, his grandfather played in the NFL,” he said.
The Vero Beach, Florida, freshman is quickly turning heads on the national recruiting circuit. Monds has visited Columbus twice since April, which reflects positive early impressions of Ohio State. Will these lead to his commitment? “They are going to be thorough with the process,” Givler said. Meanwhile, Niemann Lawrence of Northwestern Miami, who just wrapped up his freshman year, too, has impressed the staff. Lawrence has visited Ohio State four or five times already, showcasing a deep connection through his ties to the South Florida Express program, a known pipeline to Columbus.
While not as physically imposing as Monds, his arm talent is undeniable. “I don’t know that it’s possible to spin a football better than he does… it is a beautiful thing to watch him throw,” said Givler, adding that “it just spins with the velocity he puts on it, it is a beautiful thing to watch him throw.” Maybe this, too, has impressed Ryan Day.
While the Buckeyes are early in the evaluation process, it’s clear both Monds and Lawrence are priority recruits.
Ryan Day gets strong OSU message from elite defensive target
In their final bid to give final touches to their impressive class of 2026, Ohio hosted the 4-star hybrid linebacker Cincere Johnson on the 17th. A 6’3″, 240-pound edge would announce his commitment on 19th June. Everyone’s keeping an eye on him; he’s also looking at Penn State and Alabama. For Matt Patricia and Larry Johnson on the coaching staff, recruiting Cincere Johnson would mark a significant victory for the Silver Bullets.
The coaching staff made a concerted effort to impress not just Johnson, but his whole family. Johnson told On3, “I’ve been down there plenty of times. It was good being able to connect with everybody all weekend and just pick their brain. It was a good time.”
Meanwhile, Ohio State is also chasing California-based Ryder Lyons, a 5-star QB of the 2026 class. He is expected to deepen the Buckeyes’ already elite quarterback room and could become a centerpiece of Ryan Day’s future plans. With stars Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair already in the program, how will Lyons fit into the team? With Johnson’s announcement in a few hours and Ryder Lyons weighing his options, will the Buckeyes land two potential game-changers for their 2026 class?
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