Air Noland vs. Jadyn Davis: All eyes on future Ohio State-Michigan QB rivalry

Ask any Michigan or Ohio State fan about their favorite memory in the storied college football rivalry and you will likely receive a wide range of answers.

There was Charles Woodson’s "Heisman Game" back in 1997, Ohio State’s double-overtime victory over Michigan in Columbus in 2016, and the Wolverines’ remarkable upset over the Buckeyes in 1969 during Bo Schembechler’s first season as Michigan’s head coach.

Fast-forward to present day, and a new chapter in college football’s fiercest rivalry appears to be taking shape surrounding a pair of quarterbacks looking to put their own stamp on "The Game" in the near future.

Jadyn Davis and Air Noland are two of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 class, and both are expected to be impact players at their respective schools — Davis at Michigan and Noland at Ohio State.

The two highly touted signal-callers went head-to-head this past weekend at the Elite 11 Atlanta Regional.

While both players impressed, it was Noland who ultimately won the day. The four-star prospect out of Fairburn, Georgia earned an automatic invite to the Elite 11 Finals, a three-day event that includes the top high school prospects from across the country competing against one another.

The ongoing battle between Noland and Davis served as a glimpse of what could shape up to be a heated QB rivalry for years to come.

"It was very cool, to get ahead and get some competition against a future rival, if not a rival right now," Noland told Buckeye Huddle’s Kevin Noon. "It was very good and exciting."

Noland, who committed to Ohio State just last month, is a four-star prospect and the No. 7 ranked QB in the 2024 class, per 247Sports.com. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound left-hander is known for his elite-level accuracy. This past fall, he completed 73% of his passes for 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions. 

Meanwhile, Davis — a 6-foot-1, 202-pound signal-caller from Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina — is a five-star prospect and the No. 2 ranked QB in the 2024 class. He pledged his commitment to Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines back in March and is the headliner of a class that currently ranks No. 1 in the country.

FOX Sports college football analyst RJ Young believes Davis’ commitment to the Wolverines could help take the program to the next level.

"The commitment of Davis gives Michigan fans hope that the Wolverines can not only keep up this level of success but can also finish it with a national title in the near future," Young said of Davis. "And while recruiting doesn't win national championships, it certainly matters."

[What Jadyn Davis' commitment means for the future of Michigan football]

After seeing both Noland and Davis in action this past weekend, 247Sports’ Cooper Petagna came away more impressed with what he saw from the future Buckeye signal-caller, despite Davis having the higher ranking.

"I think if there is anything you saw this weekend it’s that the gap is shrinking," Petagna said when asked about the gap between Davis and Noland’s current ranking on 247Sports.com. "I would tell you that I’d probably prefer Air Noland at this point.

"I just think Air Noland has a little more athletic upside at the position."

How bright does the future look at quarterback for both Michigan and Ohio State? 

We are more than 15 months away from Davis and Noland suiting up for the first time at their respective schools, but there’s already plenty of chatter surrounding the two highly touted QBs, and that will only add more intrigue to the top rivalry in college football.