Exactly seven months ago today, Ohio State received a massive blow to their 2024 recruiting class when Chandler High School (Airz.) five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola decommitted from the program, eventually flipping to Georgia in June.
Suddenly forced to look elsewhere at the quarterback position, head coach Ryan Day and his staff pivoted, landing Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star quarterback Air Noland (6-3, 195) on April 8.
On Friday, Noland made it clear that there would be no concerns of a potential decommitment this time around for Ohio State, as he denounced recent rumors regarding his changing status with the program and confirmed his allegiance to the Buckeyes.
“That’s a no-go, man,” Noland told Fox Sports College Football Analyst and “The Number One College Football Show” host R.J. Young on Friday. “Me and my guy coach (Corey) Dennis, coach (Brian) Hartline, coach Ryan Day, they know I’m locked in. They know all the commits that we have right now are locked in. If you’re a Buckeye, you’re always a Buckeye. There’s no decommitting and flipping if you’re truly a Buckeye.”
Noland, who recently earned five-star status after excelling at the Elite 11 in June, said he chose Ohio State over six other Power-Five programs because of the love and support Day and his staff expressed to him and his family throughout his recruitment. The Fairburn, Georgia native also received interest from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Miami (Fla.), Oregon and Texas A&M, with the Crimson Tide making the strongest effort to push him away from the Buckeyes.
“Ohio State was the best choice for me,” Noland said. “On and off the field, development as a young man, I just feel like Ohio State was the best fit out of the other choices I had. Ohio State not only fit me on and off the field, but it fit me from an offensive standpoint, it fit me from meeting the coaches, (from a) relationship standpoint. My family felt very comfortable with them and they felt very comfortable with me. So why not Ohio State?”
Noland said his bond with Day, Hartline and others was amplified during his two-day visit to Columbus from April 1-2. This trip, which ended with Ohio State extending the top high school prospect an offer, showed him that he could not only develop as a young collegiate quarterback while donning the scarlet and gray but prepare himself for a potential professional career down the line.
“Them being comfortable (with me), first off, and then just talking with the head coach, coach Ryan Day,” Noland said. “He really topped it off with a great two days when I visited Ohio State. Talking to Ryan Day, he just sounded like he wanted to develop me more. He sounded like he had more opportunities and chances to get me to the next level, which is the NFL.”
The Langston Hughes product, who is currently listed as the nation’s 4th-best quarterback and 33rd-best overall prospect, also expressed interest in playing for Ohio State because it would reunite him with a former teammate he shares a “tight” relationship with. Noland will likely share the huddle with freshman tight end Jelani Thurman, who signed his National Letter of Intent with the Buckeyes in Dec. 2022. Thurman logged over 1,100 receiving yards while catching passes from Noland from 2021-23.
“Everybody doesn’t have the same colleges they go to or high school they go to,” Noland said. “But when it happens, and you make the same choice, it’s like a dream come true. (We) know what to do and what not to do together, not only on the field, but also off the field. So it works hand in hand. It makes you comfortable with the receivers, makes you comfortable with the play calling when you have a buddy right beside you so if anything goes wrong, you can just chop it up with him and talk with him about it.”
Before teaming up with Thurman once again in 2024, Noland will look to add to an already exceptional high school resume at Langston Hughes. The left-handed signal caller amassed 8,024 yards and 104 touchdowns across his first three high school seasons, highlighted by a junior campaign in which he earned 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 73.1 percent of his passing attempts.
