Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class was built around star power at premium positions.
The headlines naturally followed players like Chris Henry Jr, Cincere Johnson, Jay Timmons, Khary Wilder, and other nationally celebrated recruits expected to become the future faces of the program. But almost every truly elite recruiting class contains another category of player too — the prospects whose rankings never fully match their traits, developmental upside, or eventual college impact.
And this freshman class
has several of them.
Quarterback Luke Fahey, edge rusher Dre Quinn, and hybrid linebacker/edge defender Braxton Rembert may not have entered Columbus carrying the same recruiting prestige as Ohio State’s biggest names, but internally, these are exactly the kinds of players programs quietly become very excited about over time.
Each possesses their own traits that are difficult to teach. Each arrives with developmental upside that extends well beyond immediate freshman expectations. And each has a pathway, even if it takes time, to becoming a meaningful piece of Ohio State’s future.
None of them necessarily need to contribute heavily in 2026, or even 2027 for that matter. But all three look like players Ohio State believes could become much more important later in their careers.
Luke Fahey has the kind of quarterback traits coaches bet on long term
Luke Fahey arrived in Columbus without the national fanfare typically attached to Buckeye quarterbacks, but the deeper you study his profile, the easier it becomes to understand why Ohio State’s staff believed in him and chose him as the QB for this class.
Physically, Fahey already possesses several traits coaches prioritize when projecting long-term quarterback development. He has a naturally live arm, clean throwing mechanics, and a noticeably quick release that allows him to generate velocity without overstraining mechanically.
More importantly, his arm talent translates functionally rather than theatrically. He throws comfortably outside the numbers, layers the ball well over the middle of the field, and shows a natural ability to generate touch without sacrificing pace.
Unlike many high school quarterbacks with strong arms, Fahey generally plays under control, and that matters — a lot.
Ohio State’s quarterback room is built around processing speed and structure as much as it is raw talent. The Buckeyes do not simply want quarterbacks who can throw hard. They want players who can operate timing concepts, manipulate safeties, and consistently stay on rhythm within the offense.
Fahey’s high school tape repeatedly showed flashes of those qualities.
Statistically, Fahey produced at a high level throughout his prep career while steadily evolving as both a passer and a processor, but what likely appealed most to Ohio State was not just the production itself, it was the long-term projection attached to it.
The Buckeyes saw a quarterback with real arm talent, natural mechanics, and developmental upside entering an ideal situation.
Julian Sayin remains positioned as the centerpiece of Ohio State’s current quarterback timeline, while Tavien St Clair represents the program’s elite long term five-star prospect behind him, allowing Fahey to develop patiently without the pressure or urgency that often overwhelms younger quarterbacks early in their careers.
Honestly, that may be the best possible setup for him, because his path was always more about long-term growth than it was immediate expectations.
Because Fahey’s path was never about becoming an instant contributor. It was about long-term growth. Quarterbacks with his combination of arm talent, mechanics, and feel often make substantial jumps physically and mentally after several years in a college strength program and quarterback room, especially one like Ohio State’s.
There is also something else worth acknowledging, quarterback depth matters more than ever in modern college football. Transfer portal movement has made long-term quarterback retention difficult nationally, but if Fahey stays patient and continues developing, there is a very real possibility he eventually competes for meaningful snaps later in his career.
Ohio State’s staff clearly believes the foundational tools exist. And frankly, in my opinion, the arm talent is better than many recruiting rankings suggested, and I think he’ll end up proving a lot of those rankings wrong.
Dre Quinn’s film suggests a much higher ceiling than his ranking
Every recruiting cycle contains edge rushers whose rankings lag behind what their film actually shows. Dre Quinn feels like one of those players to me.
The first thing that immediately stands out watching Quinn is how naturally explosive he is off the line of scrimmage. His first step consistently creates stress for offensive tackles, and his acceleration through contact flashes the type of burst Ohio State has historically valued at defensive end.
But what makes Quinn particularly intriguing is that his game already contains more polish than many developmental edge prospects entering college.
He does not simply win with effort or raw athleticism. There are legitimate pass-rush tools already present. Quinn flashes active hands, understands how to attack leverage, and consistently plays with a motor that forces offensive linemen to sustain blocks for extended periods.
That combination matters because college edge development often depends less on raw sack production and more on whether a player already understands the mechanics of rushing the passer, and Quinn already appears to.
And physically, there is still substantial room for growth for him as well. Once he fully enters Ohio State’s strength and conditioning program, it is easy to envision him adding additional power without sacrificing any quickness or athleticism.
That developmental combination, explosive first-step athleticism paired with future frame growth, is exactly what programs look for when projecting long-term edge defenders.
There is also a schematic fit element here. Ohio State’s defensive system heavily rotates edge rushers and prioritizes relentless pressure waves across the defensive line. That structure naturally creates opportunities for younger pass rushers to develop rotationally before assuming larger roles later in their careers.
Quinn likely will not be asked to contribute heavily immediately, especially in a room that now includes players like Kenyatta Jackson Jr, Qua Russaw, Beau Atkinson, Zion Grady, and Khary Wilder.
But the long-term pathway absolutely exists. And honestly, the film to me, suggests Quinn may currently be undervalued nationally. There are reps on tape where he looks like the kind of player recruiting services eventually regret ranking too conservatively. His burst, flashes of bend, and overall pass-rush instincts simply look more advanced than many players ranked around him.
The challenge now becomes refinement. Can he continue developing counters? Can he add strength while maintaining explosiveness? Can he consistently play with the same level of technical discipline against elite offensive tackles?
If those things happen, Quinn has the tools to eventually become far more than a depth edge rusher. Because the physical upside paired with elite traits, is already obvious.
Braxton Rembert may have the highest ceiling of anyone in the group
If Luke Fahey represents long-term quarterback projection and Dre Quinn represents undervalued pass-rush upside, Braxton Rembert represents pure developmental ceiling.
Physically, Rembert looks exactly like the kind of hybrid front seven athlete modern defenses covet. He possesses rare length, natural explosiveness, and the frame versatility to potentially develop into multiple different defensive roles depending on how Ohio State ultimately wants to use him.
And honestly, his ceiling may be enormous. Rembert’s athletic profile immediately jumps out on film. He closes space quickly, changes direction fluidly for his size, and flashes the kind of range that allows defenses to envision multiple deployment possibilities.
At times he looks like a traditional edge rusher attacking downhill. On other snaps he looks more like a modern hybrid linebacker capable of operating in space.
That versatility is part of what makes him so fascinating long term. Ohio State’s defensive structure increasingly values players who can blur positional lines. The Buckeyes want athletes capable of rushing the passer, defending space, and creating matchup flexibility, and Rembert’s skill set naturally fits that vision.
But unlike some more polished freshmen, Rembert still feels earlier in his developmental curve technically. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Because players with his combination of frame and athleticism often make enormous jumps once technique, confidence, and role clarity begin catching up to physical talent.
Right now, there are still moments where his film shows a player learning how to fully weaponize his traits consistently. But the flashes are incredibly high-end. There are reps where he looks legitimately dominant physically.
And if everything eventually clicks with the technique, processing, pass-rush development, and functional strength, the upside becomes extremely difficult to ignore. Honestly, first-round NFL Draft conversation is not completely unrealistic for Rembert, purely from a tools and physical upside perspective.
That does not mean it is guaranteed, of course. Developmental defenders carry a ton of volatility, especially hybrid front-seven players still refining positional identity. But the traits themselves are absolutely NFL-caliber traits.
That is why Rembert may quietly be one of the most fascinating long-term bets in Ohio State’s entire freshman class. Because even if he contributes minimally early in his career, the developmental runway for him is truly massive.
