He pairs his height with elite speed, strength and quickness. Reese will see his fair share of snaps on the Buckeyes defense in 2025. However, on Tuesday, head coach Ryan Day brought a dark horse name to the surface. That player is Payton Pierce.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day didn’t leave much to the imagination when asked about the Buckeyes’ ongoing quarterback competition. Speaking to reporters on Monday after the team’s spring scrimmage over the weekend, Day shared where things stand —and made it clear that the race is still wide open.

Most thought Ohio State QB job was already being given to five-star quarterback Julian Sayin. But Lincoln Kienholz has something to say about that.