Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State QB Receives Urgent Message About 2025 Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 10:32 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for a three-headed quarterback competition ahead of the 2025 college football season.

At this point in time, the favorite to win the job is clearly former Alabama transfer Julian Sayin. However, he will face stiff competition from both Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair.

All three quarterbacks are more than capable of playing at a high level. Only one of them will be able to come out with the starting job.

Ryan Day is expecting a good competition, but there is one quarterback out of the three who is facing a much more intense situation.

Kienholz is facing a potential situation where he could have to enter the transfer portal.

Not long ago, RJ Young of Fox Sports suggested that Kienholz could be on his way out of Columbus. He's ready to compete for the job, but if he doesn't win it his time at Ohio State might have to come to an end for him to find playing time.

Now, the quarterback has received an urgent message from Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors, a well-respected name in the Buckeyes' world.

Hope offered a very realistic take on Kienholz and his future with Ohio State.

"While redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has just as much to prove as Kienholz as they compete for Ohio State’s starting quarterback job this spring, it’s Kienholz who finds himself in a now-or-never position. If the redshirt sophomore can’t beat out the one-year-younger Sayin and two-years-younger Tavien St. Clair this spring, he’ll face long odds of ever becoming Ohio State’s full-time starting quarterback."

During his time with the Buckeyes, Kienholz has played very sparingly. He has completed 10 of his 22 career pass attempts for 111 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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