The other day, I was texting my dad about this year's quarterback competition, and we were exchanging points and predictions. As someone who never played football growing up and only became a diehard Buckeye fan a handful of years ago, I kept making comparisons to previous competitions I had witnessed.

I then had the thought: You know, Day hasn’t exactly been here for forever. And I haven’t made a real blog in a while.

So… here are my evaluations of every major quarterback competition that happened with Coach Day in-house!

To start, let’s get a few things out of the way:

#1: What is a “major quarterback competition?”

I believe that players are not given things without earning them at Ohio State. This is made clear based on the number of lower-end recruits who've forged legacies here (like Chris Olave and Dawand Jones) and the number of five-stars that were fizzled out of playing time (like Tyreke Johnson and Julian Fleming).

However, I also think that returning starters do have some keep within the organization. I didn't list any seasons with returning starters as major competitions because the guys coming in to compete were typically not viewed as real competitors, but as future starters or current back-ups.

Excluding returning starters, no quarterback has been declared the starter prior to August since the 2018 season when Urban Meyer was head coach, and while some might argue that this was just Day making the starter earn it, I'm not convinced that it's entirely theatrics.

#2: Who do you consider “starting candidates?”

The player has to be 1. on scholarship and 2. in serious consideration for major playing time either now or in the future. Essentially, if they were actually written in the depth chart and were seen as playable options in the event of an injury, they're counted.

I will distinguish between "major" and "minor" contenders. For example, Devin Brown had a much better shot at starting over Kyle McCord or Will Howard than Gunnar Hoak did of beating out Justin Fields.

#3: What do you consider Day's tenure to be?

For this list, I'm considering years where Ryan Day was either our:

- Quarterbacks Coach,

- Offensive Coordinator,

- or Head Coach.

Ryan Day initially arrived as Ohio State's QB coach after filling the same position for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, so every year since 2017 where there was a major quarterback competition will be counted in this list.

Alrighty, enough chit-chat. Let's start it off

#5: 2018

Major Contenders: Dwayne Haskins

Minor Contenders: Tate Martell, Matthew Baldwin

Declared Winner: Dwayne Haskins

Heading into the offseason, after Day was promoted to offensive coordinator, it appeared to be a two-horse race at quarterback. Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow had been the team's two primary back-ups the past two seasons and were expected to battle it out. However, Haskins had the edge after leading the team to a 31-20 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor in lieu of an injured J. T. Barrett. Burrow ended up transferring to LSU after the spring game, leaving the job as Haskins' to lose.

True freshman Matthew Baldwin did not factor into the competition. He would transfer to TCU later in his career and retired from college football in 2020 due to a series of injuries. Tate Martell's athleticism and near five-star status made him an interesting choice, but he was nowhere near prepared enough to compete with Haskins, who Urban Meyer named the starter months before fall camp even began on June 15th.

This season is infamous because the staff seemingly chose Haskins over Burrow, but as crazy as it may sound, it was absolutely the right choice at the time. Both players started in 2018, and Haskins finished with over 5,000 yards, 50 touchdowns, and was a Heisman finalist, while Burrow didn't crack 3,500 yards or 25 touchdowns.

Haskins' achievements are often foreshadowed by the contrast between his pro accomplishments and his former teammate's, as well as his tragic death in 2022. But even so, his accolades at Ohio State will be remembered by fans for years to come, as he was one of the program's greatest pure passers of all time.

#4: 2024

Major Contenders: Will Howard, Devin Brown

Minor Contenders: Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, Air Noland

Declared Winner: Will Howard

Ryan Day was in contact with several players in the transfer portal following the team's loss in the Cotton Bowl. The list included Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel, Washington State's Cameron Ward, and Duke's Riley Leonard. The choice ended up being Kansas State's Will Howard due to his conference championship caliber, dual-threat ability, and years of starting experience.

Another portal addition was made in light of Nick Saban's retirement. Julian Sayin, Day's top pick among passers in his recruitment cycle, quickly leapfrogged Lincoln Kienholz and Air Noland on the depth chart. However, Howard's main competition came from Devin Brown. The three-year Buckeye veteran, despite his lack of game experience, possessed the arm strength, mobility, and moxie of a potential starting quarterback.

Sayin was briefly in the conversation after his arrival, but the staff saw that he needed more time to develop. Brown kept pushing Howard for the rest of camp, but eventually, the former Wildcat began to show greater consistency. He was named the starter on August 15th, just over two weeks before the team's season opener against Akron.

Howard will be remembered for what is one of the most competitive national title runs in college football history, defeating Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame all in relatively dominant fashion. Though he was not a first-round pick like Justin Fields or C. J. Stroud, he was the definition of a fan favorite with his charisma, personality, and ability to spearhead his team to accomplish their goals.

#3: 2025

Major Contenders: Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz

Minor Contenders: Tavien St. Clair

Declared Winner: Julian Sayin

Hey, here we are!

Ryan Day seemed to take a "one for now, one for later" philosophy after taking both Will Howard and Julian Sayin in the transfer portal in 2024. The logic seemed sound, and the writing seemed to be on the wall for Sayin to start after Air Noland and Devin Brown both transferred out of the program following the season.

However, Lincoln Kienholz wasn't phased by losing his spot on the depth chart the year before and began to work. Hard. His relentless pursuit earned him Iron Buckeye honors. To put this in perspective, the only players to earn Iron Buckeye honors in 2024 would end up as starters on Ohio State's national championship squad. This was no small feat.

With Day comparing the two to Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow, it was certainly no easy decision for the staff to make. However, Sayin's superior arm talent seems to be what won him the job over Kienholz's athleticism, with Jeremiah Smith noting in the offseason that his arm was "different" and could "make every throw."

With what could possibly be the team's biggest season opener in multiple decades on the horizon, Sayin will be tested immediately. However, he has an all-star cast including Carnell Tate, Max Klare, and arguably college football's greatest returning player in Jeremiah Smith to throw to.

#2: 2021

Major Contenders: C. J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, Jack Miller III

Minor Contenders: Quinn Ewers

Declared Winner: C. J. Stroud

In what was possibly the most open quarterback competition during Day's tenure, C. J. Stroud, Kyle McCord, and Jack Miller III combinatively had no collegiate starts, only a handful of snaps, and one starting job to earn. Day & Co. gave each and every one of them fair looks to potentially be the team's starting quarterback. So why isn't this #1 on the list?

Part of the reason is because a pecking order was already somewhat established between Stroud and Miller the year before. In the playoffs, Justin Fields was injured and the staff had to put in a back-up quarterback. With the season on the line, Stroud was the one they picked. While he did not end up staying in for long, they did not know for sure at the time when Fields would be back. It was an indication that Stroud was likely ahead at the time.

However, five-star freshman Kyle McCord would make things even more complicated. During the spring game, McCord would have the day's top throw and performed solidly, showing he was more ready than most freshmen entering college. As the race gradually narrowed down, Stroud's extra year of experience and precision was able to win him the job. He was declared the starter on August 21st, less than two weeks before the season opener.

It took him some time to get acclimated in his first season. McCord played a game in relief while Stroud nursed a shoulder injury, and some fans wanted him to stay in. But after Stroud returned, he left no reasonable doubt that he was the right guy for Ohio State, finishing his career with two Heisman-finalist seasons and being selected #2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

HM: 2019

Major Contenders: Justin Fields, Tate Martell

Minor Contenders: Chris Chuganov, Gunnar Hoak, Matthew Baldwin

Declared Winner: Justin Fields

I have this as an honorable mention because calling this a "major quarterback competition" is somewhat stretching a bit. Sure, Tate Martell was fairly behind Dwayne Haskins, but Baldwin was dealing with injuries and Day was [B]not going to start Chris Chuganov or Gunnar Hoak against Florida Atlantic in Week 1.

However, it wasn't just between Hoak and Chuganov the whole time: Tate Martell was still here. Much like how Haskins was in line to start after Barrett, Martell was expected to take the mantel from Haskins and be the Buckeyes' starter the next season.

Ah, remember when transfers were less commonplace?

Martell posted that tweet on December 21, 2018.

Martell announced his transfer to Miami on January 16, 2018: less than two weeks after Justin Fields announced his transfer to Ohio State.

Cheers to Justin Fields for his many accomplishments as a Buckeye.

Further cheers to Tate Martell for publicly picking a fight and not staying to finish it, which was easily one of the funnier moments in Ohio State history.

#1: 2023

Major Contenders: Kyle McCord, Devin Brown

Minor Contenders: Lincoln Kienholz

Declared Winner: Kyle McCord

In nearly every other competition, people had a good idea of who would start: Haskins and Howard were clear favorites. Sayin and Stroud both had a good mix of five-star recruitment status and at least one year on the team. However, Day has stated years after the fact that Brown was in the lead at one point during the competition. However, an injury allowed McCord to catch up.

The competition carried into the season, with Day naming McCord the starter, but only for the season opener. McCord threw for no touchdowns, only connected with Marvin Harrison Jr. twice for 18 yards, and threw an interception in what he considered himself an “average” game. The next week, McCord had a solid outing through the air against Youngstown State, officially winning the job for the rest of the season after Brown was unable to replicate the same level of success.

But even then, McCord left something to be desired with his play at times. Brown struggled with consistency, but could open a new dimension of the offense with his legs. Due to McCord’s struggles, Day continued to use Brown in a red zone package until he was injured in week 5 against Penn State. It was then that McCord had fully fended off his competitors, but it seemed more due to a lack of other options than his performance.

This season is remembered by Buckeye fans as easily the worst in recent memory with Day in-house. McCord, particularly for his two interceptions against Michigan, shouldered much of the blame. However, his transfer to Syracuse breathed new life into the program and raised his draft stock, going in the 6th round to the Philadelphia Eagles.