Ohio State football quarterback room remains intact with transfer portal closed
The NCAA transfer portal has closed, and Ohio State’s quarterback room remains intact.
Throughout spring practice, the expectation was that at least one of the Buckeyes’ five scholarship quarterbacks would depart as a transfer after its conclusion.
That didn’t happen. The deadline for submitting a transfer request for the spring portal period was midnight Tuesday. The last player listed on a screenshot obtained by The Dispatch on Wednesday is wide receiver Kyion Grayes.
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Buckeyes’ scholarship quarterbacks
That leaves a crowded quarterback room. Kansas State graduate transfer Will Howard and Devin Brown, a third-year Buckeye, are the front-runners. Brown is considered to have had the better spring, but Howard’s adjustment to a new program must be factored in. Howard’s play improved the final two weeks of camp, and he was solid in the spring game. He completed 9 of 13 passes for 77 yards in the scrimmage.
Redshirt freshman Lincoln Kienholz was regarded as perhaps the quarterback most likely to transfer. He played in two mop-up situations during the 2023 regular season before being thrust into the Cotton Bowl because of Brown’s ankle injury in the 14-3 OSU loss to Missouri. In the spring game, Kienholz threw two interceptions.
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Julian Sayin, the top-ranked quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, made a strong impression in the spring after transferring from Alabama. His inexperience showed, however, in the spring game. He threw an interception and wasn’t as crisp as he’d looked in earlier practices.
Fellow freshman Air Noland was fifth in the pecking order during the spring. He didn’t enter the spring game until the third quarter. The Buckeyes also have veteran walk-ons Mason Maggs and Chad Ray.
The Buckeyes emerged from the spring transfer portal window relatively unscathed. Six players, all backups, chose to transfer: Grayes, linebacker Nigel Glover, offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi, safety Ja'Had Carter, defensive back Cedrick Hawkins and running back Dallan Hayden.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State QB room remains full with transfer window closed
