Baylor commit Austin Novosad, a top 15 quarterback, could flip to Ohio State
Joey KaufmanAustin Novosad is at the forefront of Ohio State’s search to add a quarterback to its 2023 recruiting class.
Novosad, a four-star prospect from Dripping Springs, Texas, took an official visit to Columbus this past weekend.
It followed a trip the previous week for an Ohio State camp, where he received a scholarship offer after throwing in front of coach Ryan Day at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
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Novosad said Monday that he expects to make a final decision around the end of this month, picking between the Buckeyes and Baylor, the school he has been verbally committed to since December. He’ll also pay an official visit to Waco, Texas, during the upcoming weekend as he weighs his options.
“I just want to process everything I got from Ohio State, then process everything from Baylor, and go from there,” he said. “That’s kind of my timeline.”
Austin Novosad: How he could fit in among Ohio State's quarterbacks
The official visit to OSU allowed Novosad to gain a closer look at the Buckeyes’ program.
Freshman quarterback Devin Brown hosted him over a couple of days, allowing him to spend more time around the team’s passers. They went bowling and fishing, and Novosad said he left impressed by the camaraderie of the group.
“You can tell they're all cool with each other,” Novosad said. “They’re all trying to help each other. That's one cool thing. Off the field, it's not a competition. They're all brothers. But on the field, it's a competition.
“I think just getting up there and knowing everyone wants the best for everyone in the QB room was kind of cool to see.”
It was something Novosad appreciated, especially because the Buckeyes’ depth chart at quarterback is lined with talented arms, a situation that might otherwise lead to personal rivalries between competing passers.
Both Kyle McCord and Brown, who are the backups behind returning Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud, are former top-50 national recruits coming out of high school.
As Novosad spoke with quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis about the position and his fit with the program, Dennis pointed out the level of competition that would await.
“He basically said that there's always going be good people and QBs at Ohio State,” Novosad said. “They're going to get up there and push me to be my best. The room is always going to be stacked, so you're just going to have to fight and be the best that you can be to win, and then ultimately, if you do get playing time, the path to the next level is there as you can see.”
Novosad said he also took notice of Day’s involvement with the position. He led Novosad through the throwing session at camp and could quickly identify areas for improvement.
“He's so hands-on with the QBs that he's practically another QB coach,” Novosad said.
Austin Novosad: Where the high school quarterback from Texas ranks nationally
If Ohio State can flip Novosad in the weeks ahead, it would fill a significant need.
With Stroud eligible to enter the NFL draft next spring, the Buckeyes might have only two returning scholarship quarterbacks in 2023 between Brown and McCord. The preference for Day remains to have three or four on scholarship.
Dylan Raiola, who committed last month, is part of the class of 2024, in which he is the top-ranked passer.
Ohio State has seemingly missed out on the most decorated passing prospects in the 2023 cycle. It extended scholarship offers to seven quarterbacks ranked as top-100 overall prospects by the 247Sports Composite, but five of them have committed elsewhere.
Dylan Lonergan, one of the two uncommitted top-100 quarterbacks, still has the Buckeyes among his five finalists, but he hasn’t scheduled an official visit to Columbus this month ahead of his July 5 announcement. His father told The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, that he “just kind of ran out of dates” and had previously visited OSU.
Novosad is a little lower in the rankings, but not far. The 6-foot-3 passer is listed as the No. 255 overall prospect and No. 13 quarterback.
The other quarterback in the mix for the 2023 class is Brock Glenn, a three-star from Memphis who received an offer last week.
Both Glenn and Novosad are among the finalists for the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback competition.
Novosad has been buoyed by his junior season at Dripping Springs High School in which he threw for 3,399 yards and 40 touchdowns last fall.
He felt it showed off his strength as a passer.
“The ability to hang in the pocket and make every throw is something I think I'm very good at,” he said, “putting the ball where only my guys can get it. If you watch my film, that's one thing you can really see.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.