After three seasons as the starting quarterback for Muskingum University, Brody Hahn decided to transfer to Ohio Northern University for his senior season.
Hahn announced his decision to become a Polar Bear via social media on May 2.
Hahn said continuing his career as a Muskie wasn’t going to give him the opportunities to be successful in his final year.
“I had a fun time every game at Muskingum. I loved the teammates, loved a lot of the guys, loved everybody on campus, but there were just some issues within the team that I felt, kind of, weren’t going to lead itself to be a successful senior season for me and for the team,” said Hahn.
Hahn shared playing time with junior Jordan Garrett, his backup during the previous two seasons, and playing in a two-quarterback system wasn’t desirable for the final season of his career.
Brody Hahn will transfer to Ohio Northern University after three years as a starting quarterback at Muskingum. Hahn accounted for 6,376 yards in his career, ranking first all-time at Muskingum.
“Through my three years, I felt that I’d shown every time that I’ve been on the field that I was the best option for Muskingum to win the football game. Being out there my sophomore and junior seasons only for a little over half of the time was disappointing, to say the least, and I just didn’t want to go through that in my last year of football,” said Hahn.
The decision to transfer to Ohio Northern had a lot to do with head coach Dean Paul and the team he has in place.
“They’ve had a great winning culture over the last 16 years that Coach Paul has been the head coach there. He’s a very well-respected coach, and I think I can learn a lot from him. I think the guys that they’re bringing back are extremely talented and really disciplined,” said Hahn.
Hahn believes he may be the missing piece that the Polar Bears need to win the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and clinch a playoff berth.
“I think that hopefully if I can win the starting job here that I can be what they need to take them to the next level and get them to the playoffs,” said Hahn.
Ohio Northern’s rushing attack was ranked third in the conference last season, averaging 187 yards rushing per game, and Hahn believes their ability to run the football will allow him to excel as a passer if he is the starting quarterback.
“Teams when they face Ohio Northern usually load the box pretty heavily. I know that’s what we tried to do at Muskingum when we played them. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that those guys, Brock Martin and Christiaan Williams, can, you know, break a huge run off at any time. So, the more people worried about your run game, the more it’s going to open up your pass game…their abilities really make it easier on any quarterback who’s in there,” said Hahn.
Hahn will compete for the starting position with multiple returning quarterbacks and incoming recruits, and he hopes the quarterback unit works well together regardless of who is named the starter to begin the season.
“I just, you know, expect there to be great competition every day at practice. I hope those guys push me as much as I push them. I hope it’s a situation where we all feel comfortable with however the depth chart shakes out, and we’re able to learn from each other and support each other because if we’ve got guys that are bitter or feel resentment towards other guys in the quarterback room, then that just won’t be very cohesive for the team,” said Hahn.
Hahn thinks his experience as a starting quarterback is his greatest asset that he can offer the Polar Bears’ offense, which ranked seventh in the OAC last season with 205 passing yards per game.
“I’ve started 30 games in the OAC. I’ve played against teams like John Carroll, Mount Union, and Baldwin Wallace three times. So, I’m used to those guys and used to the speed of the game, and I think that that’s going to really help me kind of slow things down for this offense and, really, get the ball to the right guys at the right time,” said Hahn.
Next season, Muskingum is scheduled to play against Ohio Northern in week two, and Hahn knows it will be a special game if he has the opportunity to play his former team.
“I think it’s going to be a special time. Every OAC game is really important, and, you know, all of the teams in the OAC are able to beat almost anybody else. And it’ll be very special to see the guys I’ve played in practice against for three years and actually get to go up in a game against them…I definitely think it will be a fun experience,” said Hahn.
Hahn is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in the history of Muskingum University after only three seasons as a starter. He holds numerous records, including passing yards in one game (364 yards), passing yards in one season (2,026 yards), total offense in one game (427 yards), and total offense in one season (2,396 yards).
He is second all-time at Muskingum in career passing yards (4,877 yards), tied for first in career passing touchdowns (30), and he is first on Muskingum’s leaderboard in career total offense (6,376 yards).
Hahn will have the opportunity to be a four-year starting quarterback between two programs, and he will conclude the final chapter of his football career as an Ohio Northern Polar Bear.
Listen to Hahn’s full interview on SoundCloud. The Muskie Sports Blast episode aired on WMCO May 23, 2020.
