Even though he’s entering the transfer portal, Devin Brown is still Ohio State’s No. 2 quarterback.
Ryan Day said Monday that Brown remains Ohio State’s backup quarterback behind Will Howard, though Julian Sayin has also seen regular work in practice entering the College Football Playoff.
“Julian's getting a lot of reps in there, but Devin right now is the backup quarterback,” Day said. “But Julian's right there. And he needs to continue to push in that area. You just never know how this thing's all going to shake out. There's a lot of football ahead of us. We'll need all those guys.“
Day said he appreciates Brown’s decision to stay with the Buckeyes for the CFP even though he chose to enter the portal.
“I give Devin credit, he wants to finish this thing out the right way. But he also wants to see what other options are available for his future,” Day said. “And I think it's not an easy thing for him to do. But I give him credit for wanting to finish this thing out the right way.”
While Brown has been Ohio State’s backup quarterback all season, Sayin is viewed as the frontrunner to start next season. That said, Sayin has played in only three games as a freshman, making Brown the more experienced option to come in off the bench if Ohio State needs a quarterback other than Howard to play against Tennessee or in any other CFP games if the Buckeyes advance.
Brown is one of six Ohio State players who have entered the transfer portal since the end of the regular season. Day said that wide receiver Kojo Antwi also remains with the team for the CFP despite entering the portal, but wide receiver Jayden Ballard and linebacker Gabe Powers have both left the team.
Day did not address whether offensive tackle Miles Walker or quarterback Air Noland – who entered the portal after Day’s press conference on Monday – would remain with the team for the CFP. Neither of them has played a snap as a Buckeye.
