FWIW, Land-Grant lists these 4 guys:
Connor Neville, Washington State
Alright, so I know I said there are talented quarterbacks available, and leading with Neville may not back that up, but he’s decent, I promise. The former three-star recruit announced that he’d be leaving Washington State last month, citing Mike Leach’s recent additions of several grad transfers and recruits pushing him out of the fray at quarterback in Pullman. Because of that, Neville is eligible for a “run-out” waiver, which Washington State has agreed to sign, making him eligible immediately. Last week, Neville committed to play at Eastern Mississippi Community College, but letters of intent to junior colleges have no bearing on NCAA eligibility.
Now since we know that he’s eligible, that answers one question. Question two: is he any good? Well, there’s not a ton to go on. He was extremely impressive in high school back in the class of 2017, racking up solid numbers and garnering a high three-star rating, but he didn’t see the field in his first two seasons at Washington State. What we know right now is that he has a pretty good arm, and understands the air raid, both of which would be a plus for Ryan Day.
What we don’t know — and what would certainly be the biggest hang up here — is how willing he’d be to sit on the bench for two years behind Fields. That’s a big ask of any player, and it’ll be the key for whomever Ohio State tries to bring in. If he is willing to sit behind Fields for a couple years, he could be the choice for the Buckeyes.
Tommy Stevens, Penn State
A recent transfer announcer, Tommy Stevens made it known just a day ago that he’d be playing his final year elsewhere. The good news with Stevens is that he’s eligible immediately as a grad transfer, and we know that he’d be at least a capable backup, thanks to his athleticism and intelligence in a spread offense.
What we don’t know, and what is again the biggest question, is if he’d be willing to back up Justin Fields. That seems pretty unlikely, given that he left Penn State because he didn’t think he’d start over the younger Sean Clifford, but I would imagine he still gets a call from Day and company.
Keondre Wudtee, Oklahoma State
Unlike the first two names on this list, I think the biggest question with Wudtee isn’t related to playing time, as much as it is eligibility. Wudtee is, as it stands, not eligible this season, because he’s yet to graduate, and he has no run-off waiver.
However, there is a possibility that because his position coach Mike Yurcich (now at Ohio State) departed this off-season that he could argue that as a hardship. Would it get through? It’s pretty much impossible to predict, but Wudtee is as talented as anyone else on this list, and would probably be pretty happy to play for his former coach again.
In January, he announced that he would be leaving Stillwater in part because “the matriarch of my family was diagnosed with a medical situation that is of great concern to me.”
Wudtee is a Louisiana native, so he could argue for a hardship waiver if ended up transferring closer to home, but Columbus likely wouldn’t fit the bill.
McLane Carter, Texas Tech
Another grad transfer option with questions about willingness to spend his final year on the bench, Carter would be an excellent fit for this offense, and may be the best option on the board if he’s interested. He was solid for Texas Tech last season before suffering an injury and losing his job to Alan Bowman, and would likely be at least as good as Baldwin would’ve been as a backup for Fields.
This one would take quite a bit of work for Day, but if he wants a high quality backup, Carter may be number one on the call list.
GUNNAR HOAK (KENTUCKY)
Hoak hasn't decided whether he'll transfer or remain at Kentucky, but given he attended Dublin Coffman, he makes sense as a possible transfer target. He will earn his degree next month and has two more years of eligibility remaining.
As a redshirt sophomore last year, Hoak played his first snaps, appearing in four games and going 13-for-26 with two touchdowns and one interception. In the spring game last weekend, he completed 14-of-15 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. If he opted to transfer, Hoak might look for a destination where he could start immediately, in which case Ohio State would be eliminated.
Hoak, a former three-star prospect, was born in Columbus. His uncle (Fred Pagac) and cousin (Fred Pagac Jr.) both played football for the Buckeyes.
MATT FINK (USC)
Fink is moving on after three years at USC, and the timing correlates with the implementation of Graham Harrell's air-raid offense.
As a Trojan, Fink went 13-for-18 for 89 yards and a touchdown. He can hurt defenses with his feet and picked up 106 yards on 14 rushes the past two seasons combined. A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, Fink was the No. 456 overall prospect in the country.
COLT GARRETT (TEXAS TECH)
Garrett joined Texas Tech as a preferred walk-on from a local high school in 2016, and he announced on Thursday his intention to transfer. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
In three seasons, Garrett played in just three games and completed his only pass, a 44-yard touchdown. He's one of the least experienced quarterbacks Ohio State could consider.
DEONDRE FRANCOIS (FLORIDA STATE)
It would be a bit of a shock if Francois ended up at Ohio State, but he's in the portal and would have immediate eligibility.
At one point, Francois was a highly regarded starting quarterback at Florida State. But he battled injuries and his play declined. Then, in February, Willie Taggart dismissed him from the team on the same day his ex-girlfriend made an abuse allegation against him in an Instagram post.
Francois would have one year of eligibility remaining. In three seasons at Florida State, he went 481-for-829 for 6,291 yards with 36 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
