COLUMBUS, Ohio - Of all the position battles set to take place through spring practice and into the preseason, the backup quarterback competition may have been the most hotly contested.
Gunnar Hoak, C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller were all set to compete to see who would be the man behind Justin Fields. With Fields expected to leave for the NFL and Hoak using up his remaining eligibility this season as a graduate, it will leave the backup for this upcoming season - expected to have come down to Miller or Stroud - as the presumed starter for 2021.
"Yeah, I mean they came in here for a reason early, to learn and get spring practice under their belt," Day said on National Signing Day. "So, a lot of guys out there that are here early -- 14 guys, really 15 -- and those guys are here the first time and they're learning and everything like that."
The spring practices - of which Ohio State only had three - would have been the ideal time to give Miller and Stroud experience within the offense, but they'll now be limited in those opportunities, potentially not seeing the field again until fall camp.
"And who knows what happens at the end of spring. My guess is those guys will just keep working at it and the competition will go into the preseason," Day said . "And there's just a lot of growth to be had there. It's hard when Gunnar came in as a transfer and those other guys are coming from high school. There's a lot of football to be learned and that's the idea of spring practice."
Since no learning that Day spoke of will take place during the now-cancelled spring practices, this leaves a hole at the backup quarterback position heading into the summer.
Will it be the more experienced Hoak who backs up Fields, or will one of the two incoming freshman make a strong enough impression? We break down Ohio State's options.
Gunnar Hoak
Hoak's numbers weren't flashy behind Fields and Chris Chugunuov last season, just 6-of-6 for 104 yards and a touchdown. He saw action in just four games, none of which the Buckeyes won by fewer than 35 points.
Despite the limited passing and incoming recruits battling for the backup job, he may just end up on top due to unforeseen circumstances.
He'll have an extra year of prep time in the system over Miller and Stroud, and if Miller and Stroud aren't able to throw it in front of coaches until fall camp, it seems unlikely that Hoak wouldn't be the backup, at least during the early part of the season.
If Ohio State had a more traditional non-conference schedule that didn't include the high-profile game against Oregon, maybe Miller or Stroud as the backup would make more sense, but the Buckeyes will want someone with some more experience if something were to happen to Fields in the first two weeks of the season.
