Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that quarterback Julian Sayin is out indefinitely after suffering an injury to his throwing arm, and the coach would not commit to true freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair as the starter going forward.
Day said the Buckeyes are preparing for the possibility that Sayin misses the rest of the regular season and the postseason. He declined to set a specific timeline, citing a desire for privacy for Sayin and his family, and indicated a return during the regular season is doubtful based on the nature of the injury.
“Based on the nature of the injury, we are putting together a plan for him not being available for the regular season, and then also him not being available for the postseason,” Day said. “If he’s not able to return this fall, then we’re putting a plan together for that as well.”
Sayin was injured in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s 19-15 win at Indiana on Saturday when Hoosiers defensive tackle Mario Landino sacked him and hit his right arm as he began a throwing motion. The hit forced a fumble that Ohio State recovered. Sayin left for the locker room and later returned to the sideline wearing a sling on his right arm. He did not return to the game.
Fahey, who entered as the backup, finished the game. He completed two passes that were incomplete.
Day said Fahey had been ahead of St. Clair on the depth chart in recent weeks, which is why he was the first quarterback off the bench at Indiana. With a bye week this weekend, however, both will receive first-team repetitions as the staff evaluates the position.
“Going into the last few games, Luke’s been ahead of Tavien in terms of what we’ve seen, but now that we have a bye week, these guys are both gonna get a lot of reps, and we’re gonna start to put together a plan on how we’re gonna move forward,” Day said. “We’re gonna play the guy that gives us the best chance to win.”
He described the situation as a significant challenge for both players.
Fahey, a three-star recruit from Mission Viejo, California, has completed 9 of 13 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in limited action this season. He appeared in three games before Saturday and entered the year as the No. 2 quarterback after pushing St. Clair during camp.
St. Clair, a former five-star recruit from Bellefontaine, Ohio, and the first in-state high school quarterback to sign with Ohio State since Joe Burrow, has completed 5 of 9 passes for 52 yards with one touchdown and one interception across limited snaps in two seasons. He was widely viewed as the likely backup entering the year but has seen fewer opportunities.
Ohio State (6-1) has a bye this weekend before traveling to No. 19 USC on Oct. 31. The Buckeyes then face a stretch that includes home games against Oregon and Northwestern.
Sayin, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2025, had been one of the nation’s more efficient passers this season before the injury. Ohio State’s defense and running game will likely need to carry more of the load in his absence as the staff determines its quarterback plan.
