Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class had 5-star Dylan Raiola as its crown jewel, until he wasn’t. The now-Oregon QB2 decommitted, and Ryan Day went into urgency mode to land a QB. Amid that hurried need to fill the QB void, Day brought the nation’s 5th-ranked quarterback: Air Noland. But little did he know that this was not where he’d spend the rest of his career. Two years after transferring, the now-Memphis QB opened up about the difference between OSU and other programs.

“I mean, coming from Ohio State to South Carolina, now to Memphis, it’s kind of been the same as far as from a southern hospitality standpoint,” Air Noland said in yesterday’s presser. ” Ohio State is more northern, so it’s definitely different from these other previous schools. But just overall, Memphis just shows its pride better than any other city I’ve been in.”

Air Noland’s recruitment started around 2022, and he received offers from programs like Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Miami, and Texas A&M. But he gave them a miss to suit up in the scarlet and grey and prep for development in the Ryan Day system. Noland was “happy” to call himself a Buckeye, he said at the time of his commitment.

When he joined, the QB room also had Will Howard in the mix, who had transferred in from Kansas State. Eventually, Noland got buried in the depth, as current Buckeye QB1 Julian Sayin was named the backup. His hopes of winning the Heisman grew dim. This was someone who had notched 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns as a high school junior, but he was outshone by those ahead of him.

Being on the 2024 roster, Air Noland does get to call himself a National Championship winner, but he redshirted the whole season. With Sayin set to take over after Howard for the 2025 season, Noland decided not to waste more time. In the winter transfer portal, Noland had his reasons clearly chalked out for transferring out to the SEC.

Why did Air Noland transfer away from Ohio State, and what lies ahead for him?

Noland transferred to Shane Beamer’s South Carolina, hoping for a starting place (eventually) or significant reps. But he was met with the same turn of events at Columbia too, sitting behind LaNorris Sellers. In hindsight, though, he searched for better playing time and also proximity to his hometown in College Park, Georgia. But he stil thought it to be a good decision at the time.

“Things like not being able to play right away are challenging at times, but at the same time, you’ve got to see the bigger picture,” Air Noland said after his OSU departure. “I just feel like I needed a better home, a new start. A better place where I can go and have an opportunity. South Carolina was closer to home, of course, and the people here. They really enjoy it here. I feel like it’s a great opportunity to showcase my skills and talent.”

Of course, Noland knew he wouldn’t start quickly at South Carolina in 2025, and he made peace with that last year. But Sellers decided to stay back for one more year to bolster his draft stock. This time, though, Noland saw an in Memphis, and transferred for the second time. At Memphis, he is looking to replace former quarterback AJ Hill. But the job isn’t his yet.

Currently, new head coach Charles Huff will probably see his two transfer QBs, Marcus Stokes (West Florida) and Air Noland, battle it out in the spring ball. Noland’s SEC and Big 10 experience gives him a massive edge, and analysts widely expect him to be the QB1. But since there are still 20 days for spring practices to end, we probably will need to wait a bit for a clearer answer. Hopefully, Air Noland will finally get a chance to have a solid career at his new home.