Tavien St. Clair remembers his recruitment starting when Kevin Wilson visited him at Bellefontaine High School.

The 2025 quarterback met the former Ohio State offensive coordinator after his freshman season, who told him how much potential the Buckeyes saw in him as a potential target.

“He was saying, ‘We like where you’re at right now,’ ” St. Clair remembered. “‘But just imagine where you’re going to be by your senior year.’”

But Wilson and Ohio State were not ready to offer St. Clair.

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And over the course of the next year, through multiple visits, camps and throwing sessions, each generating positive feedback, St. Clair did not receive an Ohio State offer while two other quarterbacks in his class — including one Ohio quarterback — did.

For St. Clair, growing into his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame, that Ohio State offer became the center of his motivation, getting the attention of programs such as Tennessee, Florida and Penn State before getting the Buckeyes to buy in after a throwing session in front of quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis.

“The fact that for a while, I wasn’t even rated to now being who they believe is one of the top guys in the country, to get one of those offers from Ohio State is insane,” St. Clair said.

Tavien St. Clair develops into Ohio State football target

To Jake Kennedy, it was no surprise that St. Clair found himself in the upper echelon of 2025 quarterbacks.

The former Wittenberg quarterback returned to his hometown of Bellefontaine after a stint with the New Yorker Lions in Germany to work with quarterbacks during the summer of 2020. St. Clair joined Kennedy’s group as a wiry incoming eighth grader who could throw a varsity-sized football.

From his long legs and arms to his approach to the game, Kennedy saw possibility in St. Clair, something he saw St. Clair begin to pursue wholeheartedly

“He was just so raw that he had no idea,” said Kennedy, who is now Bellefontaine’s quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. “I told him, ‘This is what makes you so special: that nothing’s ever been given to you. You’ve kind of been an underdog your whole life. You didn’t even know how good you could possibly be.’

“That’s what allows him to be better than other quarterbacks in the country is that he’s nowhere near where he’s going to be even still.”

Four inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than he was when he first met Kennedy, St. Clair developed into Bellefontaine’s leader, throwing for 2,453 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 70.7% of his pass attempts.

But St. Clair continued to wait on Ohio State, which offered Findlay four-star quarterback Ryan Montgomery during his freshman season and Belleville, Michigan, five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood after his freshman season.

“There were programs that were outside of my state where they would see me throw and be instantly gravitated toward me and want to give me an offer,” St. Clair said. “And then I’ve thrown multiple times for Ohio State and the only thing that would come out of it would be like, ‘Just keep working, just keep getting better.’ ”

According to his father, Marcus, Ohio State never had negative feedback about St. Clair, complimenting his ability to extend plays and move around in the pocket. The program, Marcus said, wanted to see St. Clair take the next step physically, starting his high school career at 6-3, 175 pounds.

In the days leading up to his Ohio State offer, Tavien St. Clair said he began to turn his focus on the teams that were officially investing in him, planning on returning to Columbus only for Ohio State’s 7-on-7 camp this summer.

Instead, St. Clair said he had “one of the best throwing days (he) ever had” in front of Dennis, showcasing his physical growth while the Ohio State quarterbacks coach watched him work through several scenarios that had him throwing into tight windows in and around the pocket.

“He was just telling me, ‘You’ve matured a whole lot. You’re getting big,’ ” St. Clair said. “‘‘And it’s funny because you haven’t even gotten where you could be.’ ”

What's next for Tavien St. Clair's recruitment

With an Ohio State offer, St. Clair said his relationship with the Buckeyes is starting to change.

St. Clair said he already sees the Ohio State coaching staff showing more excitement and energy toward him now that he has an offer, something his father Marcus described as surreal.

“Whether he ends up there (or) wherever the process takes him, to have that offer from a school that he grew up picturing himself as the quarterback for or cheering for on Saturdays… it just means a lot,” Marcus St. Clair said.

But Tavien St. Clair’s recruiting process is not complete.

With a timeline for a commitment tentatively set for a year, St. Clair said he wants to continue building relationships with the coaching staffs that want him most and will develop him the best.

Even with what he calls the “golden ticket” offer, Kennedy said he knows St. Clair’s motivation will continue, aiming to meet the potential Wilson saw in the 2025 quarterback after his freshman season.

With that motivation, Kennedy sees limitless potential for St. Clair.

"I’m a little bit biased, but, you know, I really believe it: I think he has the best arm in the country," Kennedy said.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football buys into potential of 2025 QB Tavien St. Clair