The Ohio State University has a new Quarterback under center, and his name is Julian Sayin. The highly recruited and highly touted Quarterback has risen through the ranks to claim the starting spot for the 2025 season. He began his starting QB career with a gritty performance against the Texas Longhorns. On August 30th, the #3 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the then #1 Texas Longhorns 14-7. Sayin’s emergence is more about just this one victory. This is about a five-star talent who had to navigate some twists and turns to become the starting Quarterback for the Buckeyes.
Sayin’s path to Columbus and Ohio State started in his hometown of Carlsbad, California. He was the star Quarterback at Carlsbad High School. Sayin had an amazing high school career and ended up being a consensus five-star recruit. He was also the top Quarterback in the 2024 class. He initially chose to commit to the University of Alabama. Nick Saban ultimately decided to retire at the beginning of 2024. Sayin chose to enter his name in the transfer portal, and Ohio State swooped in and signed him. Sayin was drawn to Ohio State’s championship pedigree and its track record for developing quarterbacks. He also respects Head Coach Ryan Day a great deal, and that was the icing on the cake.
In his true Freshman year, Sayin saw limited action playing behind Kansas State transfer Will Howard. Sayin only appeared in four games. He completed 5-for-12 passes for 84 yards. Because he saw so little time, he was able to preserve his redshirt status. He is now considered a Redshirt Freshman in his first year starting for the Buckeyes. During Spring Practice and practice coming into the season, Coach Day praised Sayin for his poise and his quick processing and execution of the Ohio State offense. His consistency, execution, and low turnover rate allowed Sayin to win the starting job over Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair.
The season opener against Texas was Sayin’s coming-out party. The Longhorns’ defense was absolutely stacked and highly touted coming into the game. However, Sayin stayed poised and managed the game very efficiently. He threw for 126 yards and a touchdown. He also avoided costly mistakes and threw for zero interceptions. His poise allowed Ohio State’s defense to do its thing as well. All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith raved about his new Quarterback, expecting him to ‘put on a show” all season. Former Ohio State Quarterback CJ Stroud also stated that he has high hopes for Julian Sayin as the next great Buckeye.
More Buckeye Notes on Sayin:
- High school accolades: Threw for over 7,000 yards at Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, California, just outside of San Diego.
- 2025 outlook: With weapons like Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss at his disposal, Sayin could throw for over 3,500 yards if he remains healthy.
- Leadership edge: Teammates credit his film study and his seriousness about his craft for building trust from his teammates and coaches.
Looking ahead, Sayin knows that it is a long season ahead and he has his work cut out for him. Being the starting Quarterback at The Ohio State University comes with of pressure as well as a lot of perks. How he balances all of this attention will speak volumes to how his career goes. However, Sayin is groomed for this. Buckeye Nation, get ready. Sayin is just getting started.
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