Ryan Day reveals what he's looking for from quarterbacks during Ohio State spring game

Ohio State‘s spring game is the first time fans will get a look at the new-loko Buckeyes following 2024’s national championship run. The biggest difference fans can expect — the roster. Namely, the quarterback position.

Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair are all looking to claim the title of QB1 in Columbus. All three will get reps on Saturday, and head coach Ryan Day explained what he wants to see out of his quarterback room during Saturday’s showcase.

“I just want to see them continue to grow and see it carry over from what we’re seeing in practice. You know, when you put them in a game like environment, you want to see how they handle everything that comes with being in a game and managing the game,” Day explained on the field before the start of the scrimmage. “[That includes] taking care of the football, playing well in third down in the red zone and in two minutes drills.”

At the moment, it appears to be a two-man race. Earlier this week, Day said that St. Clair has the “longest way to go,” when it comes to competing for the starting job. This leaves the battle between Sayin and Kienholz to decide who starts the season opener this fall.

There have been some questions surrounding whether Ohio State can mirror the success it had during the 2024 season given the amount of talent lost to graduation and the 2025 NFL Draft. Day isn’t worried about these notions, however.

“We still have a lot of talent,” Day said. “What we lost the most was experience. And so, today is an opportunity to get more experience playing in front of the crowd, getting the game experience under their belt, which is going to be important. We’ll grade it just like a game and use it as an opportunity to get ourselves ready for the first game.”

Fans can tune into the Ohio State spring football game live on the Big Ten Network. The non-contact scrimmage is the first of many across the country to begin Saturday’s festivities. Although, holding a spring game to begin with has been a point of controversy throughout the offseason.

After this, the next time fans will be able to see their Buckeyes won’t be until Aug. 30 when they host Texas inside Ohio Stadium. That will be a rematch from the Cotton Bowl Classic from last season, which was the national semifinal.