Ohio State Buckeyes Name Julian Sayin Starting QB Ahead Of Week One

After originally enrolling to the Alabama during the 2024 recruiting cycle, the former five-star prospect quickly entered the transfer portal following the news of head coach Nick Saban announcing his retirement. Sayin would join star safety Caleb Downs as the two players to land in Columbus from the Crimson Tide in last offseason. And while Downs played a key role in the team's National Championship run during the 2024-25 season, the highly-touted quarterback waited patiently behind veteran Will Howard.

While many believed that Sayin would be the shoe-in starter for the program this season, former four-star recruit Lincoln Kienholz had a terrific spring, which forced a quarterback battle between the two. However, despite the competition leaking into the fall practices, Day ultima tely decided on Sayin to take over the quarterback duties to begin the season.

What This Means For Ohio State

As the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, Sayin had an incredible high school career at Carlsbad High School in California, throwing for over 7,824 yards and 85 touchdowns during his three years as a starter. In addition to being named the Gatorade California Player of the Year in 2023, Sayin would also be named the MVP of the Elite 11 Finals in the same year, as he displayed his sharp accuracy and ability to complete throws at all three levels of the field.

With Sayin now under center for the Buckeyes, his skillset makes him a perfect fit for offensive coordinator Brian Hartline's scheme. Ohio State has plenty of weapons on the perimeter with Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and former Purdue tight end Max Klare, which means Sayin's role will be to get the ball to his top playmakers on time. Luckily for the young quarterback, he clearly showed to excel within the pocket during his time in high school.

Unfortunately for Sayin, he will have to take on the No. 1 team in the nation for his first-ever collegiate start. Led by head coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas will look for redemption after the Buckeyes defeated them in the semifinals of the 2025 College Football Playoffs.