It's been a while since an in-state quarterback signed with Ohio State.
Eight years, to be exact. Assuming Tavien St. Clair signs with the Buckeyes and enrolls at Ohio State in 2025, it will be the first time in a full decade since a quarterback from Ohio signed with the scarlet and gray as a scholarship player.
In a day and age where Ryan Day and his coaching staff have taken recruiting to a national scale, following in the footsteps of Urban Meyer, that's not necessarily a bad thing. That said, if the state of Ohio produces an Ohio State-caliber quarterback, it's important for the Buckeyes to take a very close look at said quarterback. The Buckeyes missed out on 2022 five-star quarterback Drew Allar – who will likely start for Penn State this season – after then-2022 quarterback Quinn Ewers reclassified to the 2021 class. They weren't going to strike out this time around.
With Ohio having the likes of St. Clair and Findlay four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery entering their junior years, Ryan Day, Corey Dennis and Brian Hartline identified that they needed to get one (or possibly both) of those gunslingers to lead the Buckeyes' 2025 recruiting class. On Wednesday, it became clear that Ohio State had zeroed in on St. Clair as its top quarterback target, accepting a commitment from the Bellefontaine quarterback even though it had been pursuing Montgomery since his freshman year.
Although St. Clair’s recruit ranking will likely skyrocket before his junior season this fall, which will cause him to get even more attention from across the country, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound quarterback is locked in with the Buckeyes.
"I'm fully committed to Ohio State," St. Clair said on Wednesday following his commitment. "Any recruitment outside of that, I'm not going to take part in it."
Following St. Clair's commitment to the Buckeyes on Wednesday, he is now poised to become the eighth in-state quarterback to sign with Ohio State since 2000.
| Recruiting Cycle | Quarterback |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Troy Smith (No. 8 dual-threat QB, No. 123 overall) |
| Justin Zwick (No. 3 pro-style QB, No. 34 overall) | |
| 2003 | Todd Boeckman (No. 18 pro-style QB, No. 305 overall) |
| 2005 | Rob Schoenhoft (No. 6 pro-style QB, No. 152 overall) |
| 2011 | Braxton Miller (No. 2 dual-threat QB, No. 30 overall) |
| Cardale Jones (No. 10 pro-style QB, No. 405 overall) | |
| 2015 | Joe Burrow (No. 8 dual-threat QB, No. 295 overall) |
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how each of the previous seven in-state quarterbacks to sign with OSU in the 21st century performed with the Buckeyes:
Troy Smith (2003-06)
420/670 (62.7%), 5,720 yards, 54 touchdowns, 13 interceptions; 293 carries, 1,168 yards, 14 touchdowns
One of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history, Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2006 – the last Buckeye to win college football's most prestigious individual award and the only Ohio State quarterback to do so – and started for the Buckeyes during his final two seasons in Columbus in 2005 and 2006.
He led OSU to a 25-3 record over more than two seasons as a starter, including winning all three of his career starts against Michigan and leading the Buckeyes to a perfect 12-0 regular season and a berth in the national championship game during his Heisman-winning 2006 campaign.
Justin Zwick (2003-06)
158/276 (57.2%), 1,779 yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions
Playing behind the most decorated quarterback in Ohio State history could certainly be tough at times, but Zwick made the most of his opportunities throughout his career. He played in two games as a freshman and then appeared in at least six games in each of his final three seasons as a Buckeye.
Todd Boeckman (2005-08)
255/402 (63.4%), 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns, 16 interceptions
After playing in just one game as a freshman, Boeckman appeared in at least three games in each of his final three playing seasons at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship game in 2007 before Terrelle Pryor took his job in the Ohio native's senior season.
Rob Schoenhoft (2006-07)
18/26 (69.2%), 134 yards
Schoenhoft appeared in six games at Ohio State before transferring to Delaware following his sophomore season.
Braxton Miller (2011-15)
396/667 (59.4%), 5,295 yards, 52 touchdowns, 17 interceptions; 599 carries, 3,314 yards, 25 touchdowns
One of the most dynamic quarterbacks in program history, Miller made plays time and time again with both his arm and his feet. He appeared in 36 games at quarterback in his first three seasons before a career-altering shoulder injury forced him to miss the 2014 season. The Huber Heights native moved to wide receiver for Ohio State in 2015.
Miller is the only Buckeye other than Archie Griffin to win the Silver Football twice as the Big Ten’s MVP.
Cardale Jones (2013-15)
166/269 (61.7%), 2,322 yards, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions; 153 carries, 617 yards, four touchdowns
When J.T. Barrett fractured his right ankle against Michigan in 2014, Jones made the most of the opportunity. The Glenville product led the Buckeyes to three straight wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to win the national championship in the inaugural College Football Playoff, becoming an Ohio State legend in the process.
He split time with Barrett during the 2015 season before declaring for the NFL Draft following his junior campaign.
Joe Burrow (2015-17)
29/39 (74.4%), 287 yards, two touchdowns
Burrow played in five games in each of his first two seasons at Ohio State. Entering his junior year, the Athens native lost the backup quarterback job to Dwayne Haskins Jr. after breaking his hand during preseason camp. That led to Haskins winning the starting job a year later, which prompted Burrow to transfer to LSU. We all know how that turned out.
