Better Know A Buckeye: Luke Fahey Couldn’t Pass Up Opportunity to Play at Ohio State Despite Steep Competition at Quarterback

With parents who both went to Ohio State, Luke Fahey has always dreamed of being a Buckeye, despite growing up in Southern California. So when the opportunity arose for him to play for the Buckeyes, it was one he couldn't pass up, even if the competition will be more fierce in Columbus than it would be at most other schools.

Background

It's unusual for a prospect to take an official visit to Ohio State without already having an offer from the Buckeyes, but that’s exactly what Fahey did in June 2025, knowing that there was mutual interest between him and the Buckeyes. Following that official visit, he left Ohio State with an offer from his dream school.

Fahey was the only quarterback to make an official visit to Ohio State last summer. Once the Buckeyes showed Fahey he was their top priority, it quickly became a match, as Fahey committed to OSU on July 3, 2025.

“I always had in the back of my mind, like, if I ever got the opportunity to play (for Ohio State), that I would always take full advantage of that opportunity,” Fahey told Eleven Warriors after his commitment. “When I got the offer, I feel like when I went home and everything, it was kind of like a no-brainer for me, just because again, I grew up a huge fan. It's kind of like everything that they have at that school, it's all positive, and it's a great opportunity for definitely a quarterback to go and pursue his dreams there and further his football career and a great academic career.

“It feels like a dream come true,” Fahey added. “I've been dreaming about playing for Ohio State my whole life, and I've been watching Ohio State growing up my whole life, so it kind of feels unreal.”

A three-year starter at Mission Viejo High School, Fahey completed 163 of 260 passes (62.7%) and threw for 2,184 yards and 26 touchdowns as a sophomore. He also ran for 496 yards and a touchdown while helping lead Mission Viejo to the CIF State Division I-AA state championship, its first in eight years.

As a junior, he completed 105 of 137 throws (76%) for 1,638 yards and 17 touchdowns while running for 183 yards and three scores on the ground.

In his final high school season, Fahey passed for 3,199 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior, including a school-record 569 passing yards against Los Alamitos. In all, he completed nearly 70% of his passes over his three seasons as a starter with 68 touchdowns through the air, 475 completions and only nine interceptions. 

Fahey was a three-sport athlete in high school, as he also played basketball and lacrosse.

Scouting Report

Whether under center or in shotgun, Fahey has the touch and accuracy to throw the ball to all areas of the field. He also showcased that ability on play-action passes and under pressure, as he can pick apart a defense with his accuracy and timing.

He doesn't have the strongest arm in terms of power, but Fahey's touch allows him to find receivers in small windows in both the short passing game and his deep ball. Fahey also has a high football IQ and is a quick processor, which he uses to get through his reads to make plays.

While he has better accuracy when his feet are set, Fahey can already throw the ball efficiently while on the run. And if he doesn't throw it, he uses his speed and legs to be a playmaker with the ball in his hands – as he showed with his 61-yard touchdown run in the spring game. 

Touchdown Luke Fahey‼️pic.twitter.com/IqJqDhzgmn

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 18, 2026

Depth Chart Outlook

Fahey is competing for the QB3 spot as a freshman in 2026 with Justyn Martin, a fifth-year quarterback who transferred to Ohio State this offseason. His first chance to compete for the starting job could come in 2027, assuming Julian Sayin enters the 2027 NFL draft.

That said, Fahey will have a challenging path to a future starting job at Ohio State. Current QB2 Tavien St. Clair is the heavy favorite to be Ohio State’s next starting quarterback after Sayin, and given Ryan Day's track record at OSU, there's a good chance that five-star quarterbacks will continue to come to Columbus even after Sayin and St. Clair are gone.

That’s not to say that Fahey lacks the talent to be a big-time quarterback, even though he is a bit undersized at 5-11. That said, Fahey isn't afraid of the competition and how tough it will be to be QB1 for Ohio State. In fact, he has expected it since the moment he committed to the Buckeyes.

“At other schools, I felt like the path to being a starting quarterback was easier. But again, I don't want to be scared of competition when in life you're going to have to compete,” Fahey said. “I know those guys will make me work hard at every aspect while I'm there, if that's on the field, in the weight room, sprints. And again, my goal is to be an NFL quarterback. And when you're around people who are better than you, it only pushes you to be better. It only makes you work that much harder.”

Player Comparison: Brock Purdy

While Purdy played early and often for Iowa State, he has similar size to Fahey with the same skill set to use his legs to be a playmaker in the run game when needed, while throwing the ball down the field with accuracy and touch.

With the Cyclones, Purdy led the Big 12 in completions the last three seasons of his college career and led the conference in passing yards as a sophomore and senior. In total, the 6-1, 220-pounder completed 993 of 1,467 passes (67.7%) for 12,170 yards, 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions during his four-year career at Iowa State.

Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL draft, selected by the San Francisco 49ers. He quickly made a name for himself, taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie season and has now become one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the NFL despite being the last pick of the 2022 draft.

Fahey might not play as much as Purdy in college, especially early on, but if he sticks to the process and trusts his skill set while maintaining his ability to be an accurate passer, dual-threat quarterback and strong leader, he has the talent to outperform his recruiting rating and become a future NFL quarterback, much like Purdy did as a three-star recruit at ISU.