Ohio State’s Quarterback room is filled with talent for the 2024 campaign. Will Howard, Devin Brown, Lincoln Keinholz, Air Noland, and Julian Sayin are set to battle for the starting job. 

After a plethora of quarterback talent and some of the best guys under center in all of college football over the past decade, last season was a change for Buckeye fans. The man under center was not decided until right before the season, and while quarterback Kyle McCord showed flashes, many fans felt like an upgrade at the position was the difference in the two losses the team suffered turning into wins.

Will Howard

When breaking down the quarterback room for next season, Will Howard is the starting point. The 6’5 242-pound dual-threat quarterback spent four seasons at Kansas State and is coming off his best season. Howard had a 61.3 percent completion percentage and threw for 2,643 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran the ball 81 times for 351 rushing yards good for 4.3 yards per rush, and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Howard led Kansas State for an 8-4 record including a win over Kansas and tight losses to Texas and Missouri. Howard is by far the most experienced and accomplished collegiate quarterback on the roster. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it seems like his job to lose.

Devin Brown

Devin Brown backed up Kyle McCord last season and is going into his third season with the team. After not registering any statistics his first season, Brown saw limited snaps in 2023. He threw for 217 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one interception. He was part of the package in the red zone, rushing 22 times for 23 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

With McCord opting out of the Cotton Bowl against the Missouri Tigers, Brown was slated to take the reins. However, he was injured early on in the game, ending 4-6 for 20 yards with three sacks. Unlike McCord, he is staying with the team and competing for a future role and still has some abilities that could help the scarlet and gray offense.

Lincoln Keinholz

Lincoln Kienholz rounds out the room and was the third option at quarterback for the Buckeyes last season. He saw a few snaps, most coming in the bowl game with McCord transferring and Brown getting hurt early on in the game. On the year he threw just 22 passes and completed ten of them. He threw for 111 passing yards and ran the ball six times for two yards. With fresh faces both old and young coming in, the mountain is steep for Kienholz in his second year with the Bucks. The arm talent and athleticism are still there and add to a talented room of guys for Ohio State to manage the next few seasons.

Air Noland

Air Noland is a talented freshman from Fairburn, Georgia who is the seventh-best quarterback and 61st-best prospect according to 247 Sports and has been committed since April of 2023. The left-handed quarterback will come in and fight for time right away and has the arm to do it. He finished high school with a 36-6 record and led the team to their first state title as a Junior.

Noland finished high school with 10,164 passing yards and 126 passing touchdowns. He took good care of the ball until the final game of his high school career, but his arm talent and release make him poised to step in and land a chance once Howard graduates.

Julian Sayin

Julian Sayin is the other incoming freshman from the class after transferring from his initial commitment to Alabama. He was ranked as the third-best quarterback and 20th-best prospect according to 247 sports. As a transfer, he was the top quarterback and sixth-best overall in the 2024 class. He was named MVP of the Elite 11 Finals going into his senior season, and in his final season posted 2,347 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns with just one interception.

As a junior, he had 2,708 passing yards with 27 passing touchdowns and four interceptions. Some exciting traits include his accuracy, protection of the ball, and the twitch he plays with. He and Noland could be next in line behind Howard this season and may battle for the starting spot in 2025.

Overall, the quarterback room for the 2024 college football season is as loaded as any at Ohio State. There are plenty of questions with most guys having little to no college experience. With Howard being the veteran in the room, he will be leaned upon to help the younger guys and will likely be under center come the opener vs Akron on August 31st.