3 Air Noland transfer destinations that should be keeping tabs on Ohio State QB situation

Ohio State has a big of a logjam at the quarterback position. While there will be a battle to determine who’s QB1 for at least week one this upcoming spring, one quarterback who may not be in the picture is Air Noland. 

With Julian Sayin transferring in from Alabama last spring, the Buckeyes seem keen on him as the probable starter. And with Ryan Day most likely shopping in the transfer portal too, Noland is probably going to look elsewhere to truly start his college football career. 

Quarterbacks are always going to be in high demand in the transfer portal and with Noland being a freshman, he’ll have a lot of room to grow and could even entertain a smaller team first before jumping to a championship contender. 

Nonetheless, as rumors circulate around whether Noland leaves Columbus after this season, let’s take a look at potential landing spots and his fit there. 

3. LSU Tigers

Not only is there a bit of a pipeline between Ohio State quarterbacks that hit the transfer portal and LSU, but Noland could be the perfect replacement for coach Brian Kelly missing out on Bryce Underwood. Not saying Underwood was going to be the day one starter, but Noland can provide some of the same insurances as Underwood. 

Noland is young and has yet to play meaningful snaps in his collegiate career. A shot in the SEC would certainly put his development on a fast track. But it could be what keeps Kelly from reeling, especially if Garrett Nussmeier enters the NFL Draft. 

If he doesn’t, Noland gets a season to learn under Nussmeier before taking over the following season. This could be something to monitor, especially if the Tigers don’t get Dylan Raiola or Quinn Ewers, two of the big names highlighted as potential transfers. 

2. Indiana Hoosiers

Curt Cignetti turned to Kurtis Rourke in the transfer portal last spring and together, the two led Indiana to a historic season, reaching 10 wins and within arms reach of claiming one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots. 

But with Rourke’s college career done after this year, who is Cignetti going to turn to to build on 2024? Tyler Cherry is a freshman and Tayven Jackson will be a junior next year. Either one of them should be in line to start. 

That said, if Cignetti has a chance to get Noland and turn him into a respectable college quarterback, I’m sure he wouldn’t balk at the chance to rub it in Ohio State’s face. Because there are some young options for Cignetti to turn to, if he does go shopping in the portal, it’s not likely he brings in another young quarterback. 

But it could be fun to see Noland with the Hoosiers. Especially if he can continue the winning ways Rourke started and stir up a bit of a rivalry with the Buckeyes. 

1. USC Trojans

There were quite a few things that held USC back from being as good as they could have been in 2024. The most glaring problem was at quarterback. Lincoln Riley certainly has pressure on him after a frustrating season so he’ll be portal shopping to get the right pieces to get the Trojans competitive in the Big Ten next season. 

That said, Noland could be an interesting prospect to bring in. I don’t think Noland comes in and dominates right away, but he could be a player Riley could build around. He developed a good portion of the current quarterbacks in the NFL right now. 

That in itself, could be enough to lure Noland to Southern California. Easier said than done, though. Because Noland is young, he still has a lot of room to grow. I don’t think he gets a chance to start right away if he stays with a Power 4 program. 

But in the right situation, he could have a leg up in a quarterback battle.