Ryan Day Gets His 2026 Quarterback

Last year, Ohio State plucked four-star receiver Phillip Bell III out of Mission Viejo. Now, his quarterback has pledged his future to the Buckeyes. 247Sports is a tad lower on Fahey, rating him as the No. 31 quarterback and a three-star recruit. The consensus among all recruiting services rates him as the 24th-best quarterback and a four-star recruit.

Fahey is the first, and potentially only, quarterback in the Buckeyes’ 2026 class and the 20th commit to the nation’s fifth-best class. When he gets on campus, he will join a quarterback room of Julian Sayin, Tavien St. Clair, and, potentially, Lincoln Kienholz.

Ryan Day Gets His 2026 Quarterback, Luke Fahey

Day and Fessler saw something in Fahey that most other top programs must have missed. When it came down to the decision, Ohio State beat out the likes of Indiana and Stanford. While Indiana was a CFP team last year, neither the Hoosiers nor Cardinal are the usual suspects in these recruiting battles. Nonetheless, Fahey impressed the Buckeyes so much that they made him their 2026 quarterback.

As a sophomore, Fahey led Mission Viejo to the CIF State Division 1-AA championship. He passed for 2,184 yards and 26 touchdowns while completing 62.6% of his passes. Last year, in 11 games, Fahey passed for 1,638 yards and 17 touchdowns while completing 76.6% of his passes. Most impressively, he did not throw a single interception.

He’s not nearly as productive as some of the top quarterbacks in the class. Still, Fahey looks like the real deal. He’s often described as “surgical” in the pocket; he can pick defenses apart. 247Sports lauds him for his quick release and his tight spiral that he can fit into the tiniest windows. His football IQ and leadership traits are often on display as he’s the guy coaches can go to to make sure they can get a conversion.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of his game is his background in lacrosse. He’s a tough six-foot, 185-pound quarterback who is not afraid to make or take a hit. He’s not a true dual-threat quarterback. But he’s the type of player who will take what the defense gives and will run through a linebacker to get the first down.

247Sports concludes its scouting report by saying it would not be surprising to see him challenge for playing time early. While it’s unlikely he battles for the job in 2026, he may be in the thick of a battle for 2027.