Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey has a build that makes him unique from the rest of Ohio State's starting quarterbacks this century.
Fahey replaced quarterback Julian Sayin during Ohio State's 19-15 win against Indiana on Oct. 17 after Sayin took a sack in the fourth quarter. Sayin exited to the locker room and appeared on the sideline later with a sling on his arm.
Fahey took Sayin's place for the final three offensive drives. He was 0-for-2 passing and logged -2 rushing yards, but the Buckeyes defense held on, helping OSU to win the top-five matchup.
Learn all about Ohio State's potential starting quarterback and what makes him unique.
How tall is Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey?
Fahey is listed at 5 feet 11 inches on the Ohio State website.
If Fahey starts against USC on Oct. 31, he would be the shortest starting quarterback for the Buckeyes this century. Troy Smith is currently the shortest quarterback to make a start, and he was listed at six feet tall.
List of heights of Ohio State quarterbacks, 2000-2026
Heights based on available numbers via Ohio State Athletics, 247Sports and NFL.com.
- Cardale Jones (2012–2015) - 6 feet 5 inches
- Todd Boeckman (2003–2008) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Will Howard (2024) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Terrelle Pryor (2008–2010) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Justin Zwick (2002–2006) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Scott McMullen (2000–2003) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Craig Krenzel (1999–2003) - 6 feet 4 inches
- Dwayne Haskins (2016–2018) - 6 feet 3 inches
- Justin Fields (2019–2020) - 6 feet 3 inches
- C.J. Stroud (2020–2022) - 6 feet 3 inches
- Kyle McCord (2021–2023) - 6 feet 3 inches
- Kenny Guiton (2009–2013) - 6 feet 2 inches
- Devin Brown (2022–2024) - 6 feet 3 inches
- Steve Bellisari (1998–2001) - 6 feet 3 inches
- J.T. Barrett (2014–2017) - 6 feet 2 inches
- Braxton Miller (2011–2015) - 6 feet 2 inches
- Julian Sayin (2024–present) - 6 feet 1 inch
- Troy Smith (2003–2006) - 6 feet 0 inches
Where is Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey from?
Fahey grew up in Southern California and went to Mission Viejo High School.
At Mission Viejo, Fahey played in a two-quarterback system with Draiden Trudeau for his sophomore and junior seasons. Trudeau ended up as a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025 and committed to play football at San Diego State.
“I feel God has a plan for everybody,” Fahey told the Los Angeles Times ahead of his senior season in 2025. “That was my journey. Of course, everyone wants to be a full-time starter, but that was a good thing for me. There was a lot of adversity during those two years.
Fahey became the outright starter his senior year and had 7,021 passing yards, 68 touchdowns and nine interceptions through his high school career. Fahey was a multi-sport athlete, also playing lacrosse and basketball.
Luke Fahey caps off a two minute drill with a 3 yd TD run and it’s 37-0 Mission Viejo late in the 2nd. @missionfootball@CalHiSports@OCSportsZone@mikehuntley63pic.twitter.com/exvlR9VmsL
— SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone (@SGVWhitSports) August 30, 2025
What was Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey's prospect status?
Fahey was ranked a three-star recruit in the 2026 class and the No. 35 quarterback in the country based on 247Sports' composite rankings. He had offers from other Big Ten schools such as Indiana, Purdue, Washington and others, but committed early on July 3, 2025 to the Buckeyes.
Is Luke Fahey starting in place of Julian Sayin?
Ohio State has not officially named a starter for the Ohio State-USC game.
Against Ball State, Kent State and Maryland Fahey was the second Ohio State quarterback to enter the game. Tavien St. Clair, a former five-star recruit, entered after Fahey in the aforementioned nonconference matchups.
Before Indiana, Fahey passed for 203 total yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions on an 81.8% completion rate. He did not record any stats against Maryland.
St. Clair has completed five of seven passes for 52 yards with an interception and a touchdown.
"Going into the last few games, Luke's been ahead of Tavien, in terms of what we've seen," Day said to reporters on Oct. 20. "That's why he went in first. But now we have to come up for air and put together a plan. So, we need both the guys to practice really well."
Day also committed to giving both Fahey and St. Clair first-team reps throughout the off week.
"This is a challenge for both Luke and Tavien to step up in a big way," Day said. "And a coach can always say you're one snap away, until it's real, and it's real now. When someone goes down, someone else has to step up, and this is an unbelievable opportunity for them."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How tall is Ohio State QB Luke Fahey? Other facts about true freshman