Ohio State Expected To Lose 4-Star Quarterback To Transfer Portal After His Mysterious Absence

Air Noland is expected to leave Ohio State and enter the transfer portal in the coming weeks. He did not travel with the Buckeyes to Chicago for Saturday’s college football game at Wrigley Field.

If his mysterious absence is any indication, the four-star freshman quarterback is likely going to seek a new opportunity at a different program.

Noland, a true freshman from Georgia, committed to Ohio State over 34 other scholarship offers ranging from Ole Miss, Colorado, Indiana and Auburn to Boston College, Florida Atlantic, Grambling State and Charlotte. His final list of seven schools also included Alabama, Miami, Clemson, Arkansas, Oregon and Texas A&M.

The quarterback room in Columbus was already pretty packed when Noland first arrived to campus. It got even busier with the additions of Julian Sayin and Will Howard through the transfer portal.

Air Nolan is the odd man out.

Even though the Buckeyes held a quarterback competition during spring ball and fall camp, the four-year Kansas State starter was always going to be the guy. Nolan was relegated to fifth on the depth chart behind Howard, Sayin, Devin Brown, and Lincoln Kienholz. He has not played a single snap this season and will likely use his redshirt to restore this year of eligibility on the back end.

Unfortunately, his path to the starting job will not get any easier. Sayin, a former five-star recruit, will be back in 2025. As will Kienholz. Brown may or may not transfer. Five-star freshman Tavien St. Clair is also going to arrive in January.

With that in mind, Nolan is considered a likely candidate to leave after Ohio State traveled to Illinois without him. He was not designated with any kind of ailment on the injury report. He just… wasn’t there.