Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Has Ohio State’s Julian Sayin Emerged as QB Front Runner?

Avatar photoStephen Leonard
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Julian Sayin
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) takes a snap in front of quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler during the first football practice of the season at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on July 31, 2025.

Photo Credit: © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is not a hard case to make for former five-star QB Julian Sayin. He was hand-picked by the GOAT himself, former Alabama Coach Nick Saban. Sayin was the 247 composite No. 1 QB in the 2024 class and was the last recruit to be signed by Saban. Following Saban’s retirement, Sayin never played a down in a Crimson Tide uniform, transferring to the Ohio State Buckeyes instead.

On paper, Sayin is already the presumptive starter, so much so that many in the media treat No. 10 as the starter right now.

Locker Room Support

While Saban and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day both saw something special in Sayin, football is the ultimate team sport. Having the locker room behind the QB holds weight as the coach’s nod of approval.

No. 4 and first on the freak list, Jeremiah Smith is a key cog in Ohio State’s locker room approval. As a WR he is entirely dependent on the success of the QB position, and in July Smith gave his thoughts on Sayin’s abilities.

“That arm is different. He can make any and every throw. Just a smart quarterback. Like me, he’s a little quiet. He’s starting to come out of his shell. He’s definitely going to be a guy. It’s going to be scary for opponents.”

Jeremiah Smith

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Games are not played on paper and this battle will continue to be played out in the fall. QB Lincoln Kieholtz is not shying away from the challenge. While others were signing autographs for the fans, Kienholtz was working to perfect his craft. He was seen putting in work on his deep ball after practice on Aug. 2. But hey, what else would you expect from a guy that earned an Iron Buckeye offseason weight room award given to Ohio State football players that demonstrate “unquestionable training dedication, determination, disciplane, toughness, leadership and grind.”

Sayin Cements QB1

It would not surprise me to see both quarterbacks getting repetitions in the opener against Texas on Aug. 30, which gives me flashbacks to the 2005 QB battle between Justin Zwick and Troy Smith. My personal opinion has been back and forth since spring practices, but Saturday was my last chance to assess the QB competition from direct in-person observation, and I have to go with the crowd. After Saturday’s performance by Sayin, I was impressed with his connection to Smith, his accuracy and his deep ball. So I will just leave you with this visual, 10-4.

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