What commitment of Air Noland means for Ohio State

COLUMBUS — Ohio State got its guy Saturday night.

Four-star Fairburn (Ga) Langston Hughes quarterback Air Noland announced his commitment to the Buckeyes a little after 8:45 p.m. Saturday.

Noland chose Ohio State over Texas A&M, Clemson, Miami, Oregon, Alabama and Arkansas.

He is commitment No. 9 for Ohio State and No. 6 in what has been an impressive spring on the offensive recruiting trail for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State has its quarterback — again — in the 2024 class, but what does it all mean moving forward?

Lettermen Row breaks it all down and looks at the impact of Noland’s decision to commit to Ohio State, his on-field abilities and how it impacts the class rankings.

Let’s dive in.

What commitment means for Ohio State

Around this time last year, Ohio State was flirting with Dylan Raiola and Jadyn Davis.

Raiola committed and the worry was, can the Buckeyes hang on until signing day in December 2023? The short-winded answer is no.

But the past is the past, we are here to talk about Air Noland.

The quarterback Ohio State scouted, watched in person, hosted, offered and ultimately accepted his commitment.

There is no more important position in football than quarterback. That is essentially a universally accepted truth.

The Buckeyes have two five-star wide receivers in the class, and now they have a quarterback.

Not just a quarterback, but their quarterback.

That’s the No. 1 peer-recruiting position, typically, inside a recruiting class and Noland certainly fits the billing. Ohio State is looking to add one more receiver, a few more running backs, one or two more offensive linemen and then an entire defense.

Noland will lead the charge behind closing in — what could be — one of the best classes at Ohio State that head coach Ryan Day has assembled.

He is a prospect that has wanted to be a Buckeye for some time. His debut visit was only last weekend, but it went over very well. It was the first of many visits and allowed him to realize what is all in store for him.

Ohio State has a natural-born leader ready to guide its 2024 class into the summer where it will need to earn a handful of pledges.

What Air Noland brings to the field for Ohio State

A quarterback with the nickname Air is kind of telling, admittedly.

The 6-foot-2.5, 185-pound quarterback knows how to chuck the ball downfield and not only can he sling it, but he’s accurate.

Last fall he completed 73 percent of his passes along with 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns compared to four interceptions.

Noland has a great ability to go through his reads and progressions while finding the open target. Langston Hughes had great talent on the perimeter and in the slot — and a tight end, Jelani Thurman — last fall which is nice for Noland.

But even with the talent, he still had to make the throws. He had to put the ball in the windows, navigate the pocket, read coverages — everything a quarterback has to do. And Noland does that exceptionally well.

How Noland impacts the 2024 class rankings

Ohio State remains the No. 3 class in the country even with Noland’s commitment.

The Buckeyes only trail Georgia and Alabama right now, and they are ahead of Florida and Michigan.

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