Ohio State’s got a whole situation brewing in Columbus, and it’s got that chaotic, electric energy only a legit QB battle can bring. You’d think Ryan Day would be chillin’ after finally breaking the Buckeyes’ decade-long title drought, but nah, man. With Will Howard off to chase NFL dreams, Ryan Day’s got a problem most coaches would crave for — three crazy talented, but zero-collegiate-snaps QBs going to war for the throne. The 5-Star QB Tavien St. Clair keeps it real on a heated battle as Julian Sayin gets a wake-up call from a big-time national analyst.
The headliner? Tavien St. Clair. The 5-star Bellefontaine sensation who’s been around OSU’s program so much he practically bleeds scarlet and gray. Spring practice just started, and St. Clair is already letting everybody know he’s not here to play nice. “The first time that I’d taken a snap with my group of offense on the field it was like, ‘This is actually happening now,’” St. Clair said in a press conference. “‘This is not just a dream that I’m trying to make happen. This is a dream that I’m living now.’” He’s got that kinda energy you can’t teach — pure hunger.
And it’s not just talk. St. Clair kept the energy rolling, “Like I said, get better every single day. The guys in the room are, we’re the best in the country. So you just got to compete every day. At Ohio State, that’s what it breeds. So competition is what we talk, and that’s what we do. So really just getting better every day. That’s been all of our focuses, and we’re just ready to work.” And you can’t even hate on it. The man sounds like he’s ready to throw hands for that QB1 spot.
The crazy part? St. Clair’s not just some hype job. The kid’s a straight-up baller. Junior year? 3,083 passing yards, 37 touchdowns. Senior year? Another 2,536 yards and 29 TDs. Won the accuracy challenge at the Elite 11 competition too. The Rivals got him as QB1 in the 2026 class, ahead of Bryce Underwood and Alabama’s Keelon Russell. No wonder he’s already holding down a $1 million NIL valuation. The kid’s cooking. But the competition ain’t no slouch either.
See, Tavien St. Clair’s going head-to-head with Julian Sayin, the QB who straight-up dipped from Alabama to Columbus because he saw a better path to the NFL spotlight. Nick Saban himself handpicked Sayin, so you already know the talent’s real. He had almost 8,000 passing yards and 86 TDs across 38 games at Carlsbad High. Senior year alone? The man was throwing straight-up lasers, hitting 74.5% of his passes for 2,347 yards and 24 touchdowns with just one pick. Oh, and he’s not just a statue back there. He’s got wheels, racking up 605 rushing yards and nine touchdowns over his high school career. But Julian Sayin’s also got something to prove per big-time national analyst.
Big-time national analyst hits Julian Sayin with a brutal reality check
On March 19, college football national analyst RJ Young didn’t hold back on his Number One College Football Show and hit the airwaves with a reality check for Sayin. He laid it down, “Ohio State is where the football team, during spring practice, that NFL scouts will show up to see guys that aren’t eligible for another year or two years… Guys are already licking their chops at Jeremiah Smith, and then you’re going, okay, is there a quarterback here that I need to keep my eyes on that I would like, alongside guys like Carell Tate, right? Who I think is going to have a long and pretty outstanding career in the NFL, given his range [and] ability. That’s going to keep going on, and you’re going to earmark some of these players that I think could be great.” Translation?
See, the scouts are already lurking around like sharks, trying to spot the next big NFL payday. And while Sayin’s talent is crazy accurate, he’s gotta prove it — like right now. Look, Ohio State literally got the best QB resume in college football, you had guys like JT Barrett, CJ Stroud, Justin Fields, and so on. The scouts always have a thing for Ohio State QBs. These scouts are always looking ahead, trying to spot the next big thing before anyone else. One of the biggest questions they probably have is, “Is there a quarterback here I need to keep my eyes on?” Because let’s be real—having a star QB changes everything.
The analyst pointed out that Ohio State’s spring practices are basically NFL scout conventions where the pros are watching kids who can’t even go pro for another year or two. That’s the brutal truth. If you’re not cooking in those practices, you’re getting overlooked, period. According to RJ Young, scouts are already eyeing future draft picks like Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith. And the big question mark is whether any of the QBs can prove they belong in that conversation. Sayin’s got the pedigree and the stats, but if he’s not ready to show out at these practices, all that hype could fade away real quick.
For Sayin, this spring is more than just practice. It’s the stage. He left the comfort of Alabama and Nick Saban. For a shot to prove he’s the real deal in Columbus. But here’s the thing — the scouts are watching, the media’s talking, and the pressure’s real. Either Sayin shows up and snatches that QB1 spot or he’s just another highly-touted recruit who couldn’t live up to the moment.
This QB battle in Columbus? It’s about to get really ugly, real fast. And honestly, we’re all here for the show.
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