Ryan Day Explains Julian Sayin's X-Factor As Leader For Ohio State Buckeyes

Ryan Day has the unenviable task of picking Ohio State's new quarterback for 2025. That player, whomever it will be, will then have the unenviable task of replacing Will Howard — a National Championship-winning quarterback for the Buckeyes.

Talk about big shoes to fill, either Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz or Tavien St. Clair will have a ton of pressure on their shoulders in 2025. Not only will there be the pressure to perform, but at Ohio State, the position of quarterback comes with a ton of elite history to live up to.

Day has also been very clear in the past that he expects his quarterback to be a leader and the hardest worker in the room.

Talent plus hard work plus leadership. That's an elite combination, and that's why many are suggesting that Sayin, the redshirt freshman, could end up being Day's pick this fall. He has the talent, but Day also gushed about his ability as a leader when speaking to the media on Monday.

Yeah, he's finding his way. He has credibility, he's building in the locker room. And you really do it three different ways," Day said of the young quarterback as it relates to his ability as a leader, according to Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts.

"It's your character, who you are as a person. Julian's a good man, he does things the right way. He lives his life right off the field. And when he says he's going to do something, he does it. Connection, I think he spent time with the guys in the locker room and has built some of those connections with guys on the team. And then it comes down to competency."

Competency and consistency is the tough part for a young quarterback, but Day did say Sayin is getting "more and more comfortable out there".

He, of course, said the same thing about all his quarterbacks — regarding their growing comfort in new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline's system — but the way Day speaks about Sayin really makes it seem like he's sticking out. Perhaps it's that X-factor. The fact that even as a 19 year old, he has credibility in OSU's locker room because he does what he says he's going to do on and off the field.

Of course, anything can happen over the course of this spring and into the summer, but Sayin sure seem to be in a good spot in this quarterback battle brewing in Columbus.