Where does Ohio State's new quarterback fit into their already crowded quarterback room?
The quarterback carousel in college football during this transfer portal window has been one of the craziest to date. At one point, a few days into the portal being open, there were over 180 quarterbacks with their names submitted into the portal, and there are only 136 teams in Division 1 FBS.
There is a serious supply and demand issue with that position specifically, but that is a story for another time. This one is about the fit that Ohio State's new signal caller has on this Buckeyes' team.
The Buckeyes signed 6-foot-5 quarterback Justyn Martin, who has become a bit of a journeyman in his college football career. Hailing from Inglewood, CA, Martin signed with the UCLA Bruins out of high school before transferring to Maryland last year when the Bruins brought in Joey Aguilar as their starting quarterback. The UCLA quarterback saga continued from there, but Martin was out.
He went from coast to coast and signed with the Maryland Terrapins with a chance to become the starter on the East Coast. It never came to fruition for the Terps, and now he lands with the Buckeyes.
Martin has struggled to find the field in each of his seasons. Over three years, he has played in just six games, going 24-35 for 179 yards and a touchdown. Last year for Maryland, he appeared in just one contest.
He entered the transfer portal as a three star transfer prospect, the 101st ranked quarterback and the 1,641st player, according to On3.
This is the one signing in the portal that actually checks the box for what Ohio State is trying to convert their roster building methods. The group has cut a lot of dead weight from a cash perspective for young players who don't contribute as much on the football field and converted them to more veteran depth pieces.
The need for a third-string quarterback would have been very, very low on my priority list, but the Buckeyes went and got him to slot in behind Tavien St. Clair after the departure of Lincoln Kienholz.
Does this addition move the needle at all for Ohio State? No, not at all, but it is a nice addition to the team.
This is Julian Sayin's football team, with Tavien St. Clair waiting in the wings to take over after Sayin leaves for the NFL Draft either after the 2026 season or after 2027.
For Martin, this is an opportunity to experience a winning culture and try to do his part in helping this program get back to the top of college football. Whether this is a long-term spot for Martin to watch the sunset on his career or maybe it is another stepping stone for him to transfer next year, he'll be a nice depth addition for the Buckeyes.