Ohio State football freshman QB Air Noland enters transfer portal

The underclassmen of Ohio State football lost a very notable name as freshman quarterback Air Noland officially enters the transfer portal, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.com. This comes two weeks before the Buckeyes clash with Tennessee football in the College Football Playoff.

Noland isn’t the first player to enter the portal after the conclusion of the regular season. Most notably, Penn State freshman quarterback Beau Pribla entered the portal. They also have a matchup in the CFP against SMU football. Regardless, this comes as a huge loss for the Buckeyes, as Will Howard has no more years of eligibility remaining.

There’s been a growing trend of quarterbacks hitting the transfer portal before bowl games. As mentioned earlier, Pribla entered the transfer portal for Penn State. In the ACC, Duke football quarterback Maalik Murphy entered the transfer portal after leading the Blue Devils to a 9-3 record and a spot in the Gator Bowl. Regardless, it’s a growing problem within college football. 

Ohio State football will lose a top quarterback in Air Noland

Noland was one of the top quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school. The Southpaw passed for 10,164 yards and 126 touchdowns throughout four seasons. Not to mention, he loves being in the pocket and dissecting defenses effortlessly. Still, there are some developmental aspects he can work on. He had four turnovers in his final high school game. Noland committed to Ohio State football, despite quarterback Julian Sayin joining the program.

Regardless of any doubt, he has the natural arm talent and is quite elusive, too. He won’t wow anyone with his speed but can make a play with his legs when he needs to. In the 247 Sports evaluation, they are reminded of Michael Penix Jr., who was a fantastic college quarterback in his own right.

However, Noland will likely need some time to develop before unraveling into a star. After all, it took Penix until his redshirt junior season to dominate. While he had a quarterback-friendly system with Kalen DeBoer at Washington, Noland could look for that. It’s unknown where he could go or who has an interest in him, but a five-star recruit entering the portal draws a lot of attention.

For now, the freshman quarterback will search for his new home. A change of scenery and opportunity could help Noland get QB1 reps and help him flourish. Noland could stay in the Big 10 after raving about the Ohio State and Michigan rivalry. On the flip side, the program will need to search for their next top quarterback after Howard’s potential departure after this season.