Ohio State QB Julian Sayin ruled out indefinitely; Fahey and St. Clair to compete for starting job

Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin has been ruled out indefinitely with a throwing-arm injury, leaving the top-ranked Buckeyes to navigate the rest of the regular season — and potentially the postseason — without the player who has started every game for them for more than a year.

Head coach Ryan Day announced the news at a press conference on Tuesday, three days after Sayin was hurt in Saturday's 19-15 victory at Indiana. The junior quarterback was injured on a sack early in the fourth quarter, when Hoosiers defensive lineman Mario Landino crashed into his arm just as he began to throw. Sayin briefly went to the locker room and later returned to the sideline with his right arm in a sling.

Day declined to specify the injury or attach a timeline, calling a regular-season return doubtful while stopping short of declaring the season over for his quarterback.

— Ryan Day

The timing compounds the challenge. The injury surfaced in the middle of a bye week for the 6-1 Buckeyes, who sit first in the Big Ten and play next at USC on Oct. 31. After the trip to Los Angeles come home dates with Oregon on Nov. 7 and Northwestern on Nov. 14, a visit to Nebraska on Nov. 21, and the season finale against Michigan on Nov. 28.

Sayin's absence also reshapes an offense that had leaned on his production. The starter of 21 consecutive games since winning the 2025 preseason job, he finished fourth in last year's Heisman Trophy voting and has thrown for 5,617 yards with 51 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over two seasons. His 89.7 Pro Football Network QB Impact Grade this season ranked sixth among 175 qualified FBS quarterbacks.

With Sayin out, both Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair are expected to take first-team reps over the next two weeks ahead of the USC game. Fahey, a true freshman who entered September as the backup and replaced Sayin at Indiana, has completed 9 of 13 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions this season. St. Clair, a former five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2025 class at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, is 5 of 7 for 52 yards with a touchdown and an interception in limited action. Veteran transfer Justyn Martin, previously at Maryland and UCLA, is also on the roster. Whoever wins the job, the offense is expected to lean more heavily on the run game and standout receiver Jeremiah Smith.

The backfield took its own hit: running back Ja'Kobi Jackson needs surgery and will be out roughly a month, with the hope he can return for the Michigan game. Until then, more falls to Bo Jackson. The schedule offers no soft landing — and no clarity at the sport's most important position.