College Football programs are incessantly spinning carousels. Players hopping on and off is a cyclic occurrence that separates it from its professional counterpart. Departing seniors and NFL-bound stars consistently need replacing through the high school ranks. Myopic shortsightedness is a sin in this sport, and it’s not one Ryan Day and Ohio State plan on committing.
The 2025 season remains a fair way away, but the 2024 national champions already have one eye on their 2026 recruiting class. The Buckeyes have snapped their decade-long drought, but there’s no standing on ceremony. Sustaining this success would require this blueblood to replenish and retool at a high clip. However, there’s a point of divergence. Their success last season was facilitated by a quarterback who came to Columbus via the transfer portal. Will Howard’s stopgap stint in Columbus was a home run. His heir apparent Julian Sayin also came through the portal. When a trend begins reaping rewards, it blurs the lines between being a trend and being a program’s modus operandi. But Ryan Day is seemingly seeking to break this chain. Embracing tradition over modernity and hoping to lure a star QB from the high school ranks.
Coach Day and OSU have been hot on the tails of 4-star signal caller Luke Fahey throughout this recruitment cycle. There’s been plenty of credible reporting to suggest he’s been earmarked as a key at the position, albeit Ohio State hasn’t extended him an offer just yet. If and when they do, it appears their interest will be reciprocated by Fahey. The California-native out of Mission Viejo High had some superlatives to throw the way of the Buckeyes, after On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported Ohio State are “emerging” for his recruitment and “things are picking up.” Luke Fahey had a short soundbite for On3, but it’s very resounding.
Mission Viejo (Calif.) On3 Industry four-star QB Luke Fahey has seen increased interest from Ohio State. The latest as the Buckeyes work on the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class here: https://t.co/XxyLV2hvua pic.twitter.com/KjCkVnY41L
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) May 21, 2025
Luke Fahey told On3, “It’s a dream school for me and my parents!” It’s common for recruits to throw praise around for coaches and programs. Helps them gain leverage if there’s a potential bidding war on the NIL front, and increases mystique and intrigue around them. But to call one you and your parents’ “dream” school isn’t mere lip service. Especially when it’s Ohio State. Not too difficult to take it on face value, even for a kid from the West Coast. Steve Wiltfong also reported, “Fahey is rising on the board for head coach Ryan Day and company and we expect a visit this summer to see the Big Ten powerhouse.” This one’s trending in the right direction. That said, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes’ path to Luke Fahey is far from linear. There are prominent roadblocks in the way, none more so than Auburn.
The Loveliest Village on the Plains hasn’t had much love in return from recruits over recent seasons. But Hugh Freeze and his Tigers were early on the Luke Fahey hypetrain. Auburn extended him a scholarship in May of ‘24, and he has already been on campus. They’ve firmly been one of the leaders during the length of this process. But when OSU enters the fray, you know the pecking order shakes up. If Wiltfong’s correct about their interest, and he usually is, an offer should be imminent. Ryan Day can leapfrog Hugh Freeze and the rest of the pack if indeed he wishes to. This positive revelation for the Buckeyes comes after some more good news pertaining to their QB room.
Luke Fahey bombshell means Ryan Day struck twice on quarterbacks within hours
Strength in depth. As stereotypical and cliched as that sounds, it’s gospel for a program that wishes to be a perennial championship contender. Ryan Day’s got 3 very able quarterbacks at his disposal right now: The aforementioned Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair. The latter is a true freshman. So even as a 5-star prospect with every skill in his repertoire, St. Clair will have to bide his time and pay his dues. That leaves Sayin and Kienholz. Both are capable of starting at an FBS program, but only one will be the Buckeyes’ QB1 in 2025. Which opens the door for the other, whoever it may be in this hypothetical scenario, to leave via the transfer portal. Take their talents elsewhere instead of losing a year as a backup.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Ryan Day will no longer have the QB who loses the battle for the spot atop the depth chart when the announcement is made. So in preparation for that juncture, he’s been proactive. Ohio State has just acquired Eli Brickhandler from Houston Christian. He’s not expected to challenge for a starting spot. But will instead provide cover for the eventually officialized starter. Which is expected to be Sayin. In theory, St. Clair is capable of being the backup QB. But you don’t want to be in a position where one injury means your season rests on a freshman. As talented as they may be.
Getting Eli Brickhandler is the kind of shrewd move that you’d expect from a coach and program of this ilk. With the QB room for 2025 covering every base now, Ryan Day can pivot towards the outlook ‘26 onwards. No wonder the development in Luke Fahey’s recruitment has come hours after they got Brickhandler. Where it heads from here on out is up for conjecture, but expect OSU to be a recurring name attached to Fahey.
The post Double Jackpot All But Confirmed for Ryan Day as 4-Star Target Drops Big OSU Admission Amid SEC Giant’s Aggressive Push appeared first on EssentiallySports.
