In July 2025, Eli Brickhandler arrived in Columbus through the transfer portal, slotting in behind a group of highly touted QBs. He didn’t enter Ohio State’s QB room with the swagger of a 5-star. Instead, the California player walked in with the weight of a decision he almost made for good.

“To the boy who was going to drop out of college so I could stay home with the baby, I’m glad you didn’t ❤️” his wife Sean Kelly Brickhandler wrote on her Instagram reel on November 25.

The clip showed Eli Brickhandler on the field holding their daughter, Kaelani, soaking in a moment bigger than football.

“…And it all worked out ❤️,” she added in her caption.

This post was a quiet reminder of how close Eli Brickhandler came to walking away from all of this. He is married to Sean Kelly Brickhandl

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