Ohio State QB Julian Sayin Reportedly Set to Make More Than $1 Million in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 12:33 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are facing the Texas Longhorns in Week 1 on Aug. 30, and at the helm of the offense will be redshirt freshman Julian Sayin.

After Sayin's offseason battle with redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz, head coach Ryan Day officially named Sayin the starter on Monday.

Julian Sayin's NIL Earnings Reportedly Surpass $1 Million

The quarterback is often the face of a team, and he is set to take full advantage of that with a college football powerhouse like Ohio State.

On3's Pete Nakos claims in an article that more than 20 quarterbacks are reportedly set to earn over $1 million this season, with Sayin being one of them.

"Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who got the starting nod against Texas earlier this week, will make $1.5 million this season, a source told On3," Nakos wrote.

That's a lot of money considering Sayin's minimal experience at the collegiate level, appearing in just four games, completing 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and one touchdown, while racking up 24 rushing yards.

His potential makes him a hot commodity in the NIL world, though, because in the 2024 recruiting class, Rivals industry Rankings placed him as a five-star prospect, the No. 2 quarterback and the No. 8 player in the nation.

Julian Sayin's NIL Numbers Compared to Other Stars

Sayin is still far from being the highest-paid quarterback, with Nakos reporting Penn State's Drew Allar, Nebraska's Dylan Raiola, Miami's Carson Beck, Michigan's Bryce Underwood and Duke's Darian Mensah are all set to make at least $3 million this season.

However, with a brand as recognizable as Ohio State, a good season from Sayin could result in his paycheck seeing a significant increase.

Three other Buckeyes have On3 NIL valuations of at least $1 million, including wide receiver Jeremiah Smith ($4.2 million), safety Caleb Downs ($2.4 million) and wide receiver Carnell Tate ($1 million).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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