4-star QB Air Noland commits to Ohio State: 'It felt like home'
Heading into his first visit to Ohio State, four-star quarterback Air Noland was simply looking to confirm a suspicion.
Is Ohio State home? It was and it is. Noland, the No. 45 overall prospect in the 2024 On3 rankings has committed to the Buckeyes over Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Texas A&M, Miami and Oregon.
“It felt like home,” Noland told On3. “It felt like I needed to be.”
Though the offer only came on March 31 during his lone visit to Columbus, the Buckeyes made it clear that Noland was their guy in the class of 2024. The visit sealed the deal but there was a lot of work done prior to Noland landing in Columbus.
“They stood at the top of my list once I saw how serious they were about me and serious they were recruiting me before they even offered me,” Noland said. “Coming in, I kind of expected the offer. It was more about if Ohio State was the perfect fit for me. They showed me all aspects of why they were the perfect fit for me.”
Head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Corey Dennis and wide receiver coach Brian Hartline made the push for Noland.
“That’s a three-headed snake at Ohio State,” Noland said.
Comfort was a big factor for Air Noland
It was comfortable. Noland felt in his element at Ohio State.
“The comfort I had around coach (Ryan) Day, coach (Brian) Hartline and coach (Corey) Dennis was big,” Noland said. “Me and my mom had an outstanding time around those guys. They kept it authentic but they also made us as comfortable as possible. That let me and mom know why Ohio State was the school for me. They stood out above every school that I visited. For a school like that to stand out as much as they did, was a factor. The comfort I had around the place was big.”
Ohio State rolled out the red carpet for Noland.
“A couple of players knew me before I stepped on campus,” Noland said. “They were waiting on me to get on campus. I got to speak to every coach. Ohio State was just comfortable in between the lines while I was watching practice and outside of practice when I was talking to coaches and players.”
Noland will reunite with high school teammate Jelani Thurman, who signed with the Buckeyes in the class of 2023. Noland admits Thurman did a lot of recruiting even before the Buckeyes were recruiting the four-star signal caller.
“Tank (Thurman) started recruiting me even when he committed to Ohio State,” Noland said. “He was telling that ‘I might as well come on with him’. Me and his connection are like no other. We laugh and joke with each on and off the field. Our connection on and off the field definitely played a role.”
Ohio State’s development is undeniable
When the NFL Draft begins later this month, an Ohio State signal caller will be in the talks for landing as the top pick. CJ Stroud is the latest in a growing line of quarterbacks coming out of Columbus on their way to the NFL.
Stroud was twice a Heisman Trophy finalist. He followed former finalists like Justin Fields, Dwayne Haskins and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.
Noland couldn’t ignore the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the long list of Ohio State quarterbacks.
“It played in my head a lot,” Noland said. “As a quarterback coming in, you have a bunch of quarterbacks that have done it at Ohio State and that continue to do it. Coming into a school like that really played into my hand…The development of the quarterback at Ohio State is a big thing. They do a great job developing quarterbacks. Going in you know you’re going to get developed and you’re going to have the right pieces around you. Why not Ohio State?”