Freshman quarterback Tavien St. Clair (9) throws a pass during the spring game at Ohio Stadium Saturday. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
The Buckeyes’ quarterback battle is heating up.
Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Tavien St. Clair competed for Ohio State’s starting quarterback job during the Buckeyes’ annual spring game Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Below is an analysis of how each of these three quarterbacks performed.
Kienholz
Kienholz, who has surprised many by remaining “neck-and-neck” with Sayin throughout spring camp, had a solid outing Saturday.
The junior quarterback was 12 for 18 with two touchdowns and 158 yards through the air. Kienholz had just a few mistakes in the form of missed receivers and balls thrown into dangerous windows.
He struggled early — especially on his first few drives — putting a couple throws out of reach, but his play improved as the game went on.
“Lincoln settled down after the first drive or so and made some nice throws,” head coach Ryan Day said.
The highlight of Kienholz’s day came on a bullet pass over the middle of the field to wide receiver Mylan Graham, who took it 51 yards for a touchdown.
Nevertheless, Kienholz’s outing was far from perfect. He often stared down his No. 1 receiver, particularly in the red zone — a tendency that could cause major problems for him in the future.
One can take a lot of good out of Kienholz’s performance, but his ability to consistently make on-time and accurate throws — an area where Sayin holds a slight advantage — may determine whether he earns a starting or backup job.
Rating: 7/10
Sayin
After Kienholz started the game for the Buckeyes, Sayin came out red hot.
Each of his first three drives resulted in a touchdown, and the sophomore finished the day 17 of 24 for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Sayin thrived in the intermediate realm, routinely dicing up the defense while making throws into tight windows.
Day said he was impressed with Sayin’s performance, noting the challenges of being an undersized quarterback.
“When you’re not 6-foot-4, like Will [Howard] or Dwayne [Haskins] was, or even 6-foot-3 the way that Justin [Fields] and C.J. [Stroud] were, Kyle [McCord] was about 6-foot-3, you know, what does that mean?” Day said. “While you’re in the trees, you have to find passing lanes.”
Sayin did struggle in some facets, however. He often held the ball too long and took unnecessary sacks in the pocket, totaling three on the day. This issue was especially prevalent in the final drive when the offense was backed up on third and fourth down and long.
The likely Buckeyes starter was overall impressive, stepping up in the pocket while making all the tough throws.
Sayin has work to do, though he has the most potential of any of Ohio State’s options.
Rating: 8/10
St. Clair
Coming into the spring game, Day said St. Clair had the “longest way to go” in order to win the starting quarterback job, mostly due to a lack of experience.
That inexperience was evident Saturday.
St. Clair, the freshman from Bellefontaine, Ohio, was 11 of 15 with one touchdown, and he threw two picks. The first interception was thrown into double coverage and returned for over 60 yards, while the second was slightly underthrown and picked off on the sideline.
However, St. Clair showed promise late, getting more comfortable in the pocket as the game went on.
He led a touchdown drive on his final possession of the day, which culminated in a pass to freshman wide receiver Phillip Bell. During the drive, St. Clair was poised in the pocket, progressing through his reads rather than panicking and tossing the ball into tight coverage.
St. Clair also showed potential as a dual-threat — he wasn’t afraid to use his legs when the pocket collapsed, rushing for 16 yards on five carries.
He will likely stay as the Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback behind Sayin and Kienoltz, but as Day mentioned, St. Clair will only continue to develop with more reps and experience.
Rating: 3.5/10
Though each of the three quarterbacks had their highs and lows, Day said he feels confident his quarterback group will continue to get better with more practice.
“Good athletes like Lincoln and Julian and Tavien, they figure it out over time,” Day said. “You just have to continue to find ways to get out there.”
