Ohio State has a habit of landing elite quarterbacks, and the Class of 2028 looks similar. After months of recruiting, a new report says the Buckeyes are now the clear favorite to secure the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, Massachusetts’ Christopher Vargas.

On July 7, Steve Wiltfong of Rivals predicted that Ohio State is the favorite to land the quarterback, but that forecast did not come from thin air. In June, Vargas went undefeated at Ohio State’s 7‑on‑7 tournament and won the camp title, throwing touchdowns to five‑star Buckeyes commit Jamier Brown. The chemistry on the field gave coaches a live look at a future partnership in Columbus.

Vargas is a 6-foot-4 quarterback from St. John’s Prep in Massachusetts. He is one of the top young quarterbacks in the country, and some people compare his playing style to former Ohio State star C.J. Stroud. Other schools like Oregon, Alabama, and Auburn are also recruiting him.

However, the good news is that he knows exactly what he wants.

“I want a place where, if football goes away, I can still become the person I want to be. Then on the football side, I want a coaching staff that can develop me into the player I want to be, but not only the player, the person too,” Vargas told Rivals this week.

Ohio State hosted Vargas on a visit last month, and he had a great experience. At this point? He has already visited Columbus several times and has become a big fan of the Buckeyes. Right now, Ohio State looks like the team to beat in his recruitment. The Buckeyes offered him a scholarship in November 2024, making them one of the first major programs to believe in his talent.

During the visit, Vargas impressed everyone by going undefeated and winning the camp championship. He also threw touchdown passes to five-star wide receiver Jamier Brown. The two showed great chemistry, giving fans a glimpse of what could be an exciting partnership if they both choose and end up in Columbus.

Vargas also had an outstanding sophomore season at St. John’s Prep. In just nine games, he threw for more than 2,000 yards with 24 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.

Ryan Day has a strong history of developing quarterbacks, including Dwayne Haskins Jr., Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud, and Will Howard. That success could help the Buckeyes in Vargas’ recruitment. If Vargas commits, he would be among the first quarterbacks of Hispanic heritage to sign with Ohio State in the modern era; the first since Joe Germaine in 1998. But then again, Ohio State is in a great position now. But there’s still a long way to go before the 2028 class signs, so plenty could change over the next few years.

Where does Ohio State’s 2028 recruiting class rank?

Even though the Buckeyes need some push for the 2027 class, they are quite comfortable when it comes to the 2028 class, holding the No. 1 ranking nationally.

So far, Day has won the pledges of three recruits, and one of them is a 5-star, Jett Harrison. He’s the younger brother of former Ohio State star and NFL first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. He surprised many people by committing to Ohio State early.

Marvin Harrison Jr. has said that Jett is “even more talented than I was at the same age.” He picked Ohio State over Oregon and Miami, keeping the Harrison family tradition with the Buckeyes in Columbus.

The second one is Jameer Whyce. The Buckeyes did a pretty solid job of landing the 6’4 and 260-pound beast of a defensive lineman from Trotwood, Ohio. Whyce is officially ranked as the number one recruit in Ohio. To round out the current class, they snagged Elijah Newman-Hall, a four-star running back from IMG. So, landing Vargas would solidify the foundation at the most important position.

Despite targeting the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2028, the Buckeyes aren’t taking any chances. They are also keeping tabs on James Armstrong, one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. Not to mention, they are still chasing local high school stars like wide receiver Lorenzo McMullen Jr. to keep the pipeline running.

All in all, when everything is said and done, the Buckeyes could finish with a top-three recruiting class in next year’s cycle.