Does Ohio State already have its 2025 QB target identified?

The Buckeyes seem to be keying in on an in-state signal caller in the 2025 class.

Ohio State’s quarterback recruiting has arguably never been better than it is right now. Sure, the Buckeyes have typically always had steady quarterback play and production over the years with numerous players from several coaching staffs, but thanks to Ryan Day, the position has never been stronger.

The results speak for themselves when you look at the numbers these guys are putting up and the accolades they are collecting in addition. Whether it’s right now with CJ Stroud or the past few seasons with Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins — who were both first round NFL Draft selections — Day has made it clear he is the ultimate QB guru and is doing great things at the helm of Ohio State with the most valuable position on the field.

For all of the reasons above, the recruiting of the quarterback position continues to excel under this regime. Looking at the current room with the most recent addition coming in the form of Quinn Ewers, who of course was the nation’s top player overall in the 2022 class before reclassifying to 2021, you can see the future looks bright. This year and the next couple of years look to be in great hands thanks to the elite players this staff has brought in under center, and while there will likely be some movement in the near future, it should shake out well for the Buckeyes overall.

Looking at 2023 and 2024

Looking ahead, it’s not really clear what Ohio State will do from a recruiting approach in the 2023 class. In 2022, it doesn’t look like the Buckeyes will really have a ton of options. Ewers was their guy, but when he enrolled earlier than it expected it really threw a wrench in the staff’s plans. Sights were set on in-state product Drew Allar, who is the 247Sports’ top QB in the class, but his commitment to Penn State certainly makes it tough to consider him a real possibility unless there is a coaching change in Happy Valley.

Back to 2023, there are two possible scenarios that make the most sense for Ohio State. They could of course go out like they typically do and find a class leader at the position, but with Stroud only a redshirt freshman and Ewers already in the waiting, it’s not crazy to think the Buckeyes could just stand pat and be comfortable with what they have. On the other hand, the transfer portal or a grad transfer is always an option in finding a more veteran guy who would keep the depth where Day would like it to be and offer more of a backup role, which Ohio State has had done in the past.

In the 2024 class, the Buckeyes look to have their recruiting tactics pretty set. The top player in the country, Jadyn Davis, is fresh off another Ohio State visit this past weekend, and it’s been just one of a few visits he’s already made to Columbus this year. No surprise here, Davis is atop of their board when it comes to who their No. 1 target is and rightfully so considering his maturity and talent.

In addition, the Buckeyes have offered another 2024 signal caller out of Texas who was also in town over the weekend for the Penn State game. Not far down the rankings list, Dylan Raiola has caught the eyes of the Ohio State staff, and though the aforementioned Davis would be ideal, the Buckeyes know they can’t put all their eggs in one basket, and look to have identified Raiola — the nation’s third-best quarterback in the 2024 class — as the other main target. Either way, one of the two would be major additions.

The obvious choice in 2025

Normally you don’t look this far ahead into the recruiting process, but the 2025 class has to be talked about when it comes to the quarterback spot because of the Buckeyes’ recent activity. Much like Allar, Ohio has another in-state signal caller the Buckeyes are clearly interested in. It will be worth watching whether their more national approach to finding a quarterback, which is honestly why the Ohio-native Allar is committed to Penn State, is something they’ll put on the shelf in the 2025 class as a result of a talented player right inside the state lines that could be an obvious pull.

Findlay, Ohio product Ryan Montgomery is only a high school freshman, but that doesn’t matter much. The 6-foot-3, 180 pound quarterback already holds offers from Penn State, Notre Dame, and Michigan, but his latest offer coming from Ohio State is the one he’s coveted the most, and he didn’t have to wait that long to receive it. Ohio State doesn’t always offer freshmen quarterbacks, but based on the current production at a young age, Ryan Day clearly things Montgomery will be among one of the top national players when it comes time for his class rankings, and the Buckeyes aren’t wasting time in showing him why he should stay home.

It also is a huge help that Ryan’s older brother, Luke Montgomery, is one of Ohio State’s top targets in the 2023 class as the 59th-best player nationally. You’d have to think if the Buckeyes are able to keep the older brother at home for his college career, certainly the younger brother would be more likely to follow suit as well. That right there could be the plan for Day and Pantoni. Just north of Columbus you have two top players, and it certainly helps that both are becoming more important in the plans for their respective recruiting classes.

All in all, Ryan Montgomery just makes too much sense not to be the early favorite here for Ohio State’s 2025 quarterback target. Sure, because there’s plenty of time until the 2025 class becomes the main priority things can still change, but after this latest offer by Ohio State, it really does make you think that the easy option is to stay within the border of Ohio and keep what looks to be one of the top rising players at home at the next level.