Why Julian Sayin Left Alabama for Ohio State as a No. 1 QB Recruit Without Ever Playing

Although transferring in college football has become as common as breathing air these days, it is still rare for a blue-chip recruit to leave a program after a few weeks with a program.

However, for Ohio State's starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, that was the reality he found himself in. After signing with the Alabama Crimson Tide in December of 2024 as the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country, Sayin found himself stunned just like the rest of college football, as legendary head coach Nick Saban opted to retire a few weeks later.

The Carlsbad, California native opted to enter his name into the transfer portal and ultimately transferred to Ohio State. A move he explained while making an appearance on "Off Script with Zak Herbstreit."

“When I ended up going to Alabama, I wanted to go play for Coach Saban,” Sayin said. “And, you know when, he retired, I decided to transfer. Ohio State was just a big decision for me, and I was excited to make it, just because of the quarterback development history they’ve had with Coach Day, and, you know, the guys like Justin Fields, CJ Stroud come before, you know, they’ve done a great job with quarterbacks. And then just the talent they have at the offensive skill positions. It was definitely a great decision for me, and I couldn’t be happier.”