Chip Kelly, Ryan Day team up to find Ohio State 2026 quarterback. Here's what they want
Quarterback Brodie McWhorter already had Ohio State at the top of his list.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day’s reputation for developing quarterbacks speaks for itself, McWhorter said, mentioning success stories of OSU quarterbacks-turned-NFL first-round draft picks Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud as proof.
The pitch didn’t change in McWhorter’s latest visit to Ohio State from Cartersville, Georgia, on Thursday, one that ended in the Class of 2026 standout receiving a scholarship offer. But with Day’s hire of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly, it’s a pitch that suddenly carried more weight.
“The history of quarterbacks at Ohio State is unreal,” McWhorter said. “But especially with the offensive mind and quarterback genius with (Kelly) and coach Day together, he really just pitched that the quarterbacks will be the best they have ever been (with them) together.”
With a quarterback room five scholarship players deep ahead of the 2024 season and one committed quarterback in the 2025 class, Day and Kelly have turned their focus to 2026 by extending offers to six quarterbacks since Kelly’s hire Feb. 9 including five in eight days between March 21-28.
But Day’s development, Kelly’s reputation as an offensive-minded innovator and the pair’s success together in both college football and in the NFL have already made an impact on 2026 quarterbacks.
“It’s just great having those two offensive minds, quarterback-thinking minds in the same room,” said 2026 quarterback Troy Huhn, who earned his Ohio State offer March 28.
2026 quarterbacks find Ohio State OC Chip Kelly 'legit'
When Huhn watched Ohio State’s spring practice, he saw an offense that looked like his own.
Huhn, out of Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, said Ohio State runs “what we run,” using a versatile quarterback who can move the ball downfield in a mix of zone-read and run-pass option looks.
It’s a system Huhn said he fits in.
“I remember (Ohio State assistant quarterbacks) coach (Riley) Larkin saying how he thinks you can’t teach mechanics. And he thinks I have one of the best mechanics in the country,” Huhn said. “And that’s a big thing. He also said I have great touch with my football and I can use my legs when I need to.”
McWhorter said an Ohio State quarterback in Kelly’s offense is one who can “get the job done” in any facet of the game, from slinging the ball downfield to using his legs when necessary instead of being solely a pro-style “statue.”
“He doesn’t do just one thing 10 out of 10,” said Steve Gates, McWhorter’s coach at Cass High School in Georgia. “He does everything nine out of 10. He can see the field, he can throw, he can run an offense. He can run the football, he can run zone, he can run power read. He can throw the short passes, he has a good long ball. So he just does everything good, which is what you want. You don’t want to be one-dimensional.”
McWhorter said he expects Kelly’s first season at Ohio State to have a “very high-tempo” offense that is “going to keep going, bring the energy.” That style is already something McWhorter has seen Kelly preach to his quarterbacks this spring.
“He’s hands-on full time,” McWhorter said of Kelly. “I’ve been in the meetings with him, how he truly helps you process the game and make sure you know everything before you get on the practice field. And then once you’re actually on the practice field, he’s going to teach his butt off to make sure you get it right.”
While he was not in Columbus with McWhorter for his visit, Gates said the 2026 quarterback did not hide his feelings about Kelly.
“(McWhorter) understands the game. He understands all the OC’s mindsets,” Gates said. ”He sent back to me a text: ‘Coach Kelly is legit.’ ”
Huhn’s relationship with Ohio State is newer than McWhorter's. He heard from Larkin a month before visiting Columbus and earning a Buckeye offer.
Huhn said it is “going to be a little while until I commit.” He said he wants to make the “right decision,” one based on great relationships with the head coach, quarterbacks coach and the rest of the coaching staff.
But after spending time with Day, Kelly and Ohio State, Huhn said he knows one thing for sure.
“This year, they’re going to be a great team,” Huhn said. “It’s going to be fun watching the quarterbacks and how they develop and grow.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: Chip Kelly, Ryan Day search for 2026 quarterback
