All eyes are on the Ohio State quarterback room heading into the 2025 season. Three players are fighting for the privilege to be the next starting quarterback for the Buckeyes, but now, Ryan Day has added another. Houston Christian graduate transfer quarterback Eli Brickhandler has committed to Ohio State and will have two seasons of eligibility.
Ohio State Adds a Graduate Transfer Quarterback
Brickhandler was initially a three-star recruit in the 2022 class. He was one of the highest-rated quarterbacks to commit to HBCU North Carolina A&T at the FCS level. As a true freshman, he appeared in two games and completed six passes on 10 attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he added 24 yards on 12 carries. In his redshirt freshman season in 2023, he split time at quarterback with seven appearances. Brickhandler completed 28-of-56 attempts for 354 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. On the ground, he accounted for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 43 rushes.
After two seasons with the Aggies, he hopped into the transfer portal and landed at another FCS program at Houston Christian. Last year, he was a platoon quarterback with the Huskies. In eight games, he completed 38-of-77 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions. He continued his playmaking on the ground as well. For the Huskies, he amassed 264 yards and one touchdown on 63 rushes. In the win over McNeese State, he gashed the Cowboys for 138 yards on the ground.
According to NCA&T’s bio on Brickhandler, he “has a lively arm and a good touch on deep balls.” He’s a solid dual-threat who will take what the defense gives him on the ground.
A New Contender?
The Ohio State quarterback competition has been the talk of the town. This Spring, Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz have been neck-and-neck, with true freshman Tavien St. Clair trailing behind. Does the addition of Brickhandler complicate things for the trio battling it out to succeed Will Howard? No.
Brickhandler will be a veteran presence in the room, but it would be surprising if he gets any kind of significant playing time this fall, barring a catastrophe. Ohio State needed to add a fourth scholarship body to the room to fill out the ranks. In reality, he will use the two seasons he has left to learn the Buckeyes’ system and Day’s style to branch off into a coaching role. Over the years, the Buckeyes have brought in graduate transfers like Tristan Gebbia, Gunnar Hoak, and Chris Chugunov.
Recruiting graduate transfers who have no feasible path to the field is a challenge. However, some guys out there know that it’s the best route to the next phase of their lives. Gebbia is an offensive assistant at Oregon State, for example. Holding the clipboard for the Buckeyes could open up opportunities in the coaching realm for Brickhandler.
He may be the second quarterback off the bench following whoever loses the competition between Sayin and Kienholz to preserve St. Clair’s redshirt in mop-up duty, of course.
Main Image: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
The post Ryan Day Adds to His Quarterback Room appeared first on Last Word on College Football.