The Ohio State QB room is heating up and Ryan Day knows it. With Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Tavien St. Clair all vying for the starting role in 2025, the Buckeyes have a tough competition ahead. “It’ll be a fierce competition,” the Buckeyes HC asserted. That means there’s no clear-cut favorite. At least not yet. But if you look beyond the 2025 class, the offensive line recruiting is undergoing some changes, with OL coach Tyler Bowen leading the charge. 

An unrated prospect doesn’t mean there’s no hype or talent. The 6’6, 300-pounder may not have received an offer from Ohio State, nor have ratings under his profile. But an OSU insider is already high on OT Oliver Miller. In a new episode on Ohio State Football on Lettermen Row on February 22, Mick Walker stated, “There’s some unoffered guys that I really like. Oliver Miller out of Cherry Creek Colorado. An interesting guy at 6’6, 290-300 pounds. He’s somebody that I think Ohio State’s interested in.” Right now, he only has a lone offer from San Diego State. 

Mick Walker believes that Oliver Miller along with another towering 2026 OT prospect Aaron Thomas from Desert Mountain HS in Phoenix, could be ideal additions for Ohio State’s future class. Standing at 6’6, 290 pounds, he’s also an unoffered interest for the Buckeyes who already have a few Power 5 offers from schools like Arizona State and Texas A&M. But he’s set to visit Columbus on April 5th.

These two O-line prospects are part of a broader strategy by OSU to stock up high-upside physical linemen who could develop into elite talent. Walker called them “high upside lottery ticket type of prospects” bringing the example of former Notre Dame standout OT Joe Alt. The Fighting Irish struck gold in 2021 with the underrated prospect who developed into a first-round NFL talent. Could Miller and Thomas be Ohio State’s version of Alt in 2026? Only time will tell, but Ryan Day is clearly interested in finding their next diamond in the rough. But coming back to 2025, the QB room continues to draw in speculation and now, even star WR Jeremiah Smith is dragged into the mix.

Who will Jeremiah Smith throw to?

The Jeremiah Smith factor looms large over Ohio State’s QB room. Ryan Day needs to put in a QB who can make consistent accurate throws to one of the most elite receivers in the nation. Some analysts like On3’s J.D. PicKell believe that Julian Sayin is the best fit for that role. “I want the individual who is the most accurate, who has the best prototypical passer. I suppose on this group, I want Julian Sayin to be the guy throwing Jeremiah Smith the football.” And Sayin’s numbers back up this hype.

Julian Sayin put up 300+ passing yards in games against Liberty and Poway HS, showing off his arm strength and accuracy. Could it be that the Buckeyes’ QB competition is just for show? For analyst Blake Ruffino, the Buckeyes QB1 is already decided. “Until Ryan Day tells me that Julian Sayin’s not going to be the starting quarterback at Ohio State, Julian Sayin is the quarterback that I’m thinking that’s going to end here.” Ryan Day has always embraced competition in his QB room and this year could be no different.

For now, Julian Sayin may have an edge but both Kienholz and St. Clair won’t go down without a fight. And with a reshaped offensive line that could potentially feature future players like Miller or Thomas, whoever wins this battle under center will have plenty of protection.