College football’s QB1 carousel is spinning faster than ever. You look around—Georgia, Alabama, it doesn’t matter the team or conference—there’s always a quarterback battle brewing. Sadly for Ryan Day, Ohio State’s no exception. Down in Columbus, it’s a three-way tussle between third-year Lincoln Kienholz, second-year Julian Sayin, and freshman Tavien St. Clair. Word on the street is Sayin’s got the edge in this showdown.
Now, a college football insider’s pointing out that even if the 19-year-old Sayin snags that QB1 spot, his plate’s going to be seriously full. Think about it—a ton of pressure and challenges are waiting for him in Columbus. It’s not all doom and gloom though, because Day’s got a former QB, Will Howard, who’s actually bringing some good vibes into the mix.
The brutal reality check for Julian Sayin
Well, HC Day has already given a disclaimer on how the QB1 spot in the Buckeyes is going to be demanding. “They’re young. We need them to be tough. We need them to be a leader.” The Ohio State insider Nevada Buck seems to be already impressed with Sayin’s feat last season. Not getting enough chance to play, he racked up a 41.7% completion rate. Plus, his effortless hand gestures and being a pro at moving around the pocket got him the spotlight. He got tagged as an “effortless runner” and the “smartest quarterback that we’ve ever had.” With this, Sayin also tapped into the Heisman buzz, having been named the MVP of the 2023 Elite 11. Back in his Carlsbad High School days, he racked up 7,824 yards passing, 85 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. However, his real test will be his second year in Day’s squad.
On the March 25th episode of the On3 podcast, analyst J.D. PicKell dropped a reality check. “He still has got to win the job, he is a redshirt freshman, so full year in the system, he got spring practice last year.” This puts him a bit ahead of the highly touted Michigan Wolverines QB Bryce Underwood, who’s a true freshman. PicKell continued, emphasizing, “He still has to do it, still has to earn it. We have not seen him play a lick of college football that is meaningful.” After all, the quarterback bar is set incredibly high in Columbus.
Looking back, Ohio State has seen second-year, five-star quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields. Stroud, the most recent, set a record with 44 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. PicKell pointed out that folks are already drawing comparisons between the five-star Sayin and Stroud, and he seems confident Sayin will indeed win the QB1 job.
But here’s the rub: “He’s [Sayin] still throwing to the best player in college football and Jeremiah Smith so does he have to live up to the standard that is Ohio State and being the quarterback? Of course. I think that’s honestly the biggest challenge that I have for him is can you handle all that comes with being the guy at Ohio State. Can you handle with being the guy at Ohio State if you lose the first game to Texas?” The analyst isn’t questioning Sayin’s athleticism at all. Instead, the big question mark hanging over the young QB is whether he can handle the immense pressure that comes with the job. Just the right time for some motivation, right? Howard has him covered.
Julian Sayin was praised by his inspiration
Will Howard has been the main character in the Buckeyes’ run to the national championship. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Well, all the Ohio State fans must be remembering his last feat for the longest time now. The quarterback connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game. And how did he seal the win? On the third-and-11, after the Fighting Irish had pulled within eight points. His best feat came when he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain. And VOILA!
Now that he is ready to take off to the pro league, he carries a strong resume. He racked up 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. So, obviously, Sayin would look up to him. Will Howard put up some serious numbers—4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns. So, naturally, Julian Sayin would look up to a guy like that. And Sayin is already getting some high praise from Howard himself. Cornerback Denzel Burke even told reporters at the scouting combine earlier this year, “Julian’s that guy, to be honest with you,” according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Howard echoed that, saying of Sayin, “Now it’s his time.” Turns out, many OSU players were raving about his skills.
“Julian is one of the most accurate quarterbacks I’ve been around,” Will Howard said. “The ba-l just looks so pretty coming out of his hand. It spins prettier than I’ve seen a lot of ba-ls come out of quarterbacks’ hands. He’s got a real chance to be elite.” We even caught a glimpse of his potential when he completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in limited action as a third-stringer behind Howard and Devin Brown (who’s now at Cal). Some analysts are already throwing around comparisons like “Aaron Rodgers-esque.” It’s like watching Will Howard was the classroom, and now the gridiron is Julian Sayin’s exam.
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