Ohio State’s season now rests on a backup quarterback, and his history with the Buckeyes started with a library date. Julian Sayin is out indefinitely with a throwing-arm injury, and Luke Fahey, a true freshman from Mission Viejo, is expected to start on Saturday at USC, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The No. 2 Buckeyes are 6-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten, with five games left that decide their playoff path. Fahey’s road to this spot goes back to a campus romance before he was born.
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Though Ryan Day kept the name of the starter under wraps until Friday, all signs point to Fahey. He replaced Sayin at Indiana and held the backup job all year over former five-star Tavier St. Clair. His grandparents, Robert Fahey and Rosemary Gorman, met as student workers at Ohio State’s main library, married and moved to California.
“Almost 70 years ago, two students met at Ohio State’s main library,” Joey Kaufman of The Columbus Dispatch reported via X. “It set in motion a family bond with the Buckeyes, bringing their grandson to the doorstep of starting at quarterback.”
Both his grandparents worked at the library, introduced by Rosemary’s sister-in-law, who was a supervisor there. They worked on different floors, and family lore says that Rosemary would call Robert’s floor just to hear his voice. They dated for a year and married in 1958. Robert, who had served in the Korean War, earned an engineering degree and took a job as an industrial engineer with Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica.
The move put almost 2,000 miles between them and Columbus, but they watched every game they could find on TV, extending their support for the program. In 1971, they took their kids to the Rose Bowl, where Stanford beat Ohio State 27-17.
“Luke grew up with the idea of being a Buckeye and contributing to the team,” Luke’s father, Steve Fahey, said, according to The Columbus Dispatch. “That was the hugest thing to him. I don’t want to sound too corny, but it’s the truth.”
The culture ran straight through Luke. He grew up in Orange County surrounded by USC and UCLA fans and still wore scarlet and gray. His dad, Steve, grew up idolizing Rex Kern. Luke’s recruiting ranking looked nothing like an Ohio State quarterback’s. At 5-foot-11, he was a three-star recruit and played basketball and lacrosse too, making him skip much of the showcase circuit.
UNLV tried recruiting him, and Stanford and Indiana also offered. The Buckeyes got involved through a coaching connection, and Brian Hartline and Billy Fessler went to see him. The offer came on his visit in June 2025, and he committed on July 3, on his mother’s birthday, making the day even more special for the family.
“He didn’t know who would offer him,” Steve Fahey said. “He always knew he was on the shorter side. But he knew he was successful, and he would work hard. You could just see the light go on, and he realized how excited he was. It was one of those moments where you’re watching your kid grow up and make his own choices, and he’s happy about it. It was a pretty cool moment.”
Robert died 34 years ago, and Rosemary passed away in 2020. Though Robert and Rosemary aren’t here to see their grandson playing for the school that started it all, Steve plans to be at the Coliseum on Saturday.
At Mission Viejo, Fahey threw for more than 7,000 yards and 68 touchdowns against nine interceptions, completing 68.9% over four seasons and led the team to a starting title as a sophomore. Fahey’s senior-year highlight was a school record of 569 yards against Los Alamitos. This season he is 9-of-13 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, nearly all of it in blowouts over Ball State and Kent State.
Ryan Day’s Luke Fahey decision could define Ohio State’s final five games
Fahey’s first snap came in the worst spot: fourth quarter at Indiana, second-and-28 in a one-score game. He went 0-for-2, and the Buckeyes held on 19-15. His first snap was an 8-yard scramble that drew a late-hit flag.
“Obviously, he was a little overwhelmed and drinking through a fire hose,” Day said. “That’s a tough spot to be in as a true freshman. You can see him escape the pocket and make that play. Now he’s got to find the speed of the game and settle in, which we can help him do.”
Fahey picks things up quickly, and Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson, who calls him the smartest quarterback he has coached, says that is because he studies like a pro. Day mentioned that Fahey shows up early to over-script with the receivers, with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith praising him for his “pro mindset.”
Day also said Fahey is an “extremely competitive player” as he gained the vote of confidence to be a solid starter after Sayin went down. The Buckeyes face Oregon on November 7 after the USC matchup, followed by Northwestern, Nebraska, and Michigan, and these five games will tell the Buckeyes where their season stands without Sayin.