He almost certainly will not start this year for the Buckeyes at quarterback, but redshirt freshman Tavien St. Clair showed why he was viewed as one of the best players in the 2025 class during Team Scarlet’s 35-26 loss to Team Gray.
St. Clair, a five-star prospect, threw for 166 yards and a touchdown while completing 9 of 21 passes during the exhibition. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was impressed with what he saw from his backup quarterback in the spring game.
“Well, being a quarterback at Ohio State is not easy, as you know, and he’s battling every day,” Day said. “I think you can see the talent, for sure, (he) threw some really nice balls down the field.”
St. Clair found a rhythm early in the spring game and connected with freshman receiver Chris Henry Jr. multiple times for lengthy completions. St. Clair even had a 40-yard touchdown pass to Henry. However, as the game went on and the rain started to pour, St. Clair had some struggles and easily could have had at least one pass intercepted. Day said he hopes St. Clair will continue to improve in the offseason.
“(St. Clair) missed some (throws) as well, and some of the drives were stymied, but that’s part of it, and he’s got to learn from those things, and can continue to grow,” Day said. “He’s been showing up every day with a good attitude, and that’s important. So I think we all can see the talent. That’s why he was recruited here. He’s got to continue to grind to learn how to run the offense at a high level, because he’s going to be an important part of this team.”
Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey also had a strong performance in the spring game. In limited playing time, Fahey, a three-star prospect, ran for 73 yards on three carries. He had perhaps the biggest play of the game when he ran for a 61-yard touchdown right before the end of the game.
Fahey may have some room to grow as a passer. He completed just 3 of 8 passes for 26 yards, but with starting quarterback Julian Sayin and St. Clair in the room with him, he will likely not need to make an immediate impact.
