What to know about Luke Fahey, Ohio State football's true freshman QB

Luke Fahey, a true freshman quarterback for Ohio State football, made his debut in the team's game against Indiana on October 17th. He replaced Julian Sayin, who was sacked in the fourth quarter and later left the locker room with a sling on his arm. Fahey took over for the final three offensive drives in that game and played a role in Ohio State's 19-15 victory.

Prior to this debut, Fahey had already been making waves during the preseason. At the beginning of training camp in August, Ohio State coach Ryan Day praised Fahey's development, saying the young quarterback was "putting a lot of pressure on Tavien St. Clair" and was making plays. St. Clair, a backup quarterback, had been expected to move up after spending last year as the third-stringer.

However, it was Fahey who took the starting position during Ohio State's season opener on September 5th against Ball State. With 7:17 remaining in the third quarter, Fahey came into the game after Sayin's day was over. He entered the contest after completing his first pass for two yards to Isaiah West and threw an interception when freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. dropped the pass, which was intercepted by opposing cornerback Cedric Franklin III.

Fahey was a three-star quarterback in the 2026 class, ranked No. 35 according to 247Sports composite rankings. The Ohio native played high school football at Mission Viejo High School, where he played in a two-quarterback system with Draiden Trudeau during his sophomore and junior seasons. Trudeau went on to become a three-star recruit in the 2025 class and commit to play football at San Diego State.

Fahey had a successful high school career, becoming the outright starter his senior year and throwing for 7,021 passing yards, 68 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also excelled in other sports, playing lacrosse and basketball. Standing at 5 feet 11 inches tall, Fahey is currently the shortest Ohio State quarterback to start a game in the 21st century, surpassing Troy Smith's height of 6 feet.