What to know about Luke Fahey, Ohio State football's true freshman QB

Luke Fahey made his debut for Ohio State football on Sept. 5, but the true freshman may be making his debut as a starter against USC on Oct 31.

Fahey replaced quarterback Julian Sayin during Ohio State's 19-15 win against Indiana on Oct. 17 after Sayin was sacked in the fourth quarter. Sayin exited to the locker room and appeared on the sideline later with a sling on his arm.

Fahey took Sayin's place for the final three offensive drives. He was 0-for-2 passing and logged minus-2 rushing yards, but the Buckeyes defense held on, helping OSU to win the top-five matchup.

Luke Fahey in action: Photos from 2026 Ohio State football season

Luke Fahey was ahead of fellow backup quarterback Tavien St. Clair before Julian Sayin's injury

At the beginning of preseason training camp, coach Ryan Day praised Fahey 's development.

"He's really been doing a great job," Day said in August. "He's putting a lot of pressure on Tavien. He really is. He's been competing. He's been making plays."

Before camp, it was presumed that St. Clair would move up after spending last year as the third-stringer. St. Clair stood out during the spring game in April. The Bellefontaine native was the first Ohio high school quarterback since Joe Burrow to sign a scholarship agreement with Ohio State, and he was a highly touted five-star prospect.

In the week leading up to Ohio State's season opener, Day said that St. Clair and Fahey would continue to split reps with the second-team offense in practices leading up to the game. By the time the Ball State game came around on Sept. 5, it was Fahey, not St. Clair, who entered the contest after Sayin's day was done.

Fahey took over with 7:17 remaining in the third quarter with Ohio State leading 42-3. After completing his first pass for two yards to Isaiah West, Fahey threw an interception after freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. dropped the pass, which popped up for opposing cornerback Cedric Franklin III to grab.

Luke Fahey was a three-star quarterback in the 2026 class

Fahey was the No. 35 quarterback in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He quickly stepped up and lost his black stripe following the Buckeyes' first preseason intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 15.

Luke Fahey split reps as a high school quarterback until his senior year

Fahey grew up in Southern California and went to Mission Viejo High School.

At Mission Viejo, Fahey played in a two-quarterback system with Draiden Trudeau for his sophomore and junior seasons. Trudeau ended up as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025 and committed to play football at San Diego State.

"I feel God has a plan for everybody," Fahey told the Los Angeles Times ahead of his senior season in 2025. "That was my journey. Of course, everyone wants to be a full-time starter, but that was a good thing for me. There was a lot of adversity during those two years."

Fahey became the outright starter his senior year and had 7,021 passing yards, 68 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions through his high school career. Fahey was a multisport athlete, also playing lacrosse and basketball.

Luke Fahey is the shortest Ohio State quarterback this century

Fahey is listed at 5 feet 11 inches on the Ohio State website.

If Fahey starts against USC, he would be the shortest starting quarterback for the Buckeyes this century. Troy Smith is the shortest quarterback to make a start, and he was listed at 6 feet tall.

List of heights of Ohio State quarterbacks, 2000-2026

Heights based on available numbers via Ohio State Athletics, 247Sports and NFL.com .

Cardale Jones (2012–2015) - 6 feet 5 inches

Todd Boeckman (2003–2008) - 6 feet 4 inches

Terrelle Pryor (2008–2010) - 6 feet 4 inches

Justin Zwick (2002–2006) - 6 feet 4 inches

Scott McMullen (2000–2003) - 6 feet 4 inches

Craig Krenzel (1999–2003) - 6 feet 4 inches

Dwayne Haskins (2016–2018) - 6 feet 3 inches

Justin Fields (2019–2020) - 6 feet 3 inches

C.J. Stroud (2020–2022) - 6 feet 3 inches

Kyle McCord (2021–2023) - 6 feet 3 inches

Kenny Guiton (2009–2013) - 6 feet 2 inches

Devin Brown (2022–2024) - 6 feet 3 inches

Steve Bellisari (1998–2001) - 6 feet 3 inches

J.T. Barrett (2014–2017) - 6 feet 2 inches

Braxton Miller (2011–2015) - 6 feet 2 inches

Julian Sayin (2024–present) - 6 feet 1 inch

Troy Smith (2003–2006) - 6 feet 0 inches