Joel Klatt says quarterback inexperience holds Ohio State back from No. 1 ranking

With spring practice coming to an end for all teams across the country, FOX analyst Joel Klatt revealed his post-spring top 25 rankings for the 2023 football season on Monday. Klatt had the Ohio State Buckeyes ranked No. 3 in the nation only behind Michigan and the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

It’s hard to complain about being regarded as one of the three best teams in the country, but according to Klatt, only one position is holding him back from putting the Buckeyes in the top spot.

“Number three is gonna be Ohio State. Ohio State, let’s just put it to you this way, if Ohio State had a returning quarterback they would be number one,” Klatt admitted. “Because I actually think at a top-end level when you look at draftable players going into next year. You look at the ’24 draft it’s littered, there’s five or six guys from Ohio State in the top 25. They’re going to have four or five, maybe even six, players drafted in the first round, they’re loaded.”

Players like wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and defensive end JT Tuimoloau are expected to be some of the top players in the country at their respective positions entering this season. But Klatt believes that the Buckeyes’ distribution of talent is what sets them apart this season compared to past years.

“And by the way, all over. You’ve got corner, defensive tackles, you’ve got two defensive ends in there, you’ve got a guard, you’ve got a wide receiver, you’ve got a running back. So this talent isn’t concentrated in one area like it’s been over the last couple of years in the wide receiver position, I think it’s more spread out for Ohio State,” Klatt said.

The elephant in the room is Ohio State’s quarterback position, as Kyle McCord and Devin Brown compete for the team’s starting job. Both were highly rated recruits with little experience, but Klatt does believe that the high standard that’s been set in Columbus a the quarterback position will likely be upheld this season.

“Now, will Kyle McCord be the quarterback? I don’t know. Devin Brown? I’m not sure,” Klatt said. “I think it’s gonna be Kyle McCord, I will say I do trust Ryan Day and his ability to develop quarterbacks. Look at what Ohio State has had since he stepped on campus as the offensive coordinator, hard to argue with what he’s developed at the quarterback position, all the last three guys have been first-round draft picks. So is Kyle McCord probably gonna play well? Yeah, he’s probably going to play well.”

Ryan Day has proven himself as a quarterback whisperer since his arrival at Ohio State, and if he can do it again this season with one of his most talented rosters to date, the Buckeyes could reach even greater heights than expected this upcoming season.

“Ryan has a unique ability to get the most out of his quarterback, remember, Justin Fields was his first quarterback in the last decade that had a second year in the system. He had a different quarterback every single year of his system for eight straight years until Justin Fields played that second year. Now he’s had Fields for two years, now he’s got CJ (Stroud) for two years, and it looks like he’ll have Kyle for two, maybe even more. But Ohio State is right there, again, top-end talent I’m so impressed with there,” Klatt concluded.