Stephen Leonard
Ohio State Writer
True Sophomore Quarterback Julian Sayin has been perceived as the frontrunner to the position all offseason, despite the intense battle head coach Ryan Day described at every opportunity. Sayin has won that battle. Lincoln Kienholz, now the backup QB, will see time.
Day had said through spring and early in fall camp that when the locker room knows it is time to name the starter. A key part of the locker room is number four, Jeremiah Smith. Back at Big Ten media days in July, Smith let his opinion slip. The rumor was that he thought Sayin was the QB at that time, but now it’s confirmed. Smith is the most vital weapon in the offense and likely in the nation, and whoever was going to be named the starter needed a strong connection with the best wide receiver in college football.
As a unanimous five-star prospect, Sayin was arguably the top QB in the 2024 recruiting class. He ended up with 7,824 yards passing, 85 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in his high school career. More impressively, as a senior, he amassed 2,347 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just one interception. Originally, Sayin signed with Alabama under head coach Nick Saban in December 2023. In January 2024, shortly after Nick Saban’s retirement, Julian hit the portal. He transferred to Ohio State in January of 2024.
Last season, Sayin played in only four games, totaling 27 offensive snaps. While going 5-of-12 passes for 84 yards and one touchdown does not say much, the play that will give everyone promise was the 55-yard score to tight end Bennett Christian.
Sayin has a large task at hand, not only the scrutiny of being the signal caller for The Ohio State Buckeyes, but his first start is against the AP number one school in the Texas Longhorns. Sayin is primarily known for his passing, making him an excellent complement to the elite WR room this Buckeye team is known for since Brian Hartline took over as WR coach in 2019. The formula speaks for itself: deliver Jeremiah Smith at least 12 targets a game, and sit watch number four be inhuman. Even with getting Jeremiah Smith the ball approach, this QB position at Ohio State is among the most high-pressure positions in all of college football. History has shown us that Day is sticking with the starter at QB once the depth chart has been established, but he has never had an iron Buckeye as backup. It will be interesting to see if any gameday packages are installed for Lincoln Kienholtz or if he gets the chance to prove himself in live play. Texas’s trip to Columbus on August 30th is rapidly approaching; they have their starter and QB, and now the Buckeyes have theirs.
