The defending champs aren’t slowing down. After snapping Ohio State’s national title drought last season, Ryan Day’s team enters 2025 with high expectations—and a massive decision at quarterback. With Will Howard now in the NFL, all eyes are on a 19-year-old talent who’s quickly become the talk of Columbus. It’s his time. With a smooth transition expected, will he be a boom or bust 5-star QB for Day?
Julian Sayin, the Alabama transfer and former five-star recruit, is turning heads inside the Buckeyes camp. And according to Fox Sports analyst RJ Young, his emergence might not just keep Ohio State on top—it could lead them to make history.
“You got Julian at quarterback—the one thing you need to prove,” Young said on his Adapt and Respond podcast. “He’s the one player on that roster that you can’t quite call it with. And as a rule, five-star quarterbacks can be Trevor Lawrence—or they can be Jackson Arnold. There’s a chasm in between.”
Ohio State kicks off its season against Texas—a blockbuster opener—but Young is already leaning toward the Buckeyes, and not just because of their recent success. He highlighted the program’s long-standing values.
“They were also very early to integration. It’s one of the other reasons I like talking about Ohio State,” Young said. “It’s one of the only predominantly white institutions that said, ‘Hey look, we don’t give a damn—can you play? Big Bill Bell, come on down—in the 1930s, play some end for us. Paul Warfield—can you play? Archie Griffin—only two-time Heisman winner—can you play?’ These are things Texas wouldn’t do. That’s one of the reasons it’s easy for me to root against Texas.”
That history, paired with a stacked 2025 roster, gives OSU a serious edge. And at the center of it all is Sayin—the 19-year-old who just might be the most important name in college football this year.
Sayin has already shown coaches the poise and work ethic they love, along with an impressive high school record. In 2023, he was California’s Gatorade Player of the Year, leading Carlsbad to a 9-1 record with 2,347 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and just one interception. The year before, he threw for 2,708 yards and 27 touchdowns, cementing his elite status. He doesn’t need to be the next CJ Stroud for the Buckeyes, but if he can show flashes of brilliance like Dylan Raiola did for Nebraska, that’ll be enough. Because Sayin won’t be doing it alone, which is a big reason why analysts like RJ Young are buying into his potential.
The Buckeyes are loaded across the board. RJ called it out plainly: “With CJ Donaldson, with James Peoples, and then the mutant on the outside—with the, you know, the mutant gene—in Jeremiah Smith. Then you got Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, and on the other side, you’ve got Caleb Downs.”
The backfield is rock solid with Donaldson and Peoples, giving Sayin the support he needs to ease into the passing game. At receiver, Smith is already a breakout star with 76 catches, 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns last season. Add Tate and Inniss into the mix, and it’s one of the most dangerous wideout trios in the nation.
And on defense? Caleb Downs transferred in and immediately made an impact, including a game-winning 79-yard punt return versus Indiana. He finished as a unanimous All-American—and could be a top NFL Draft pick if he weren’t a safety. RJ Young puts it simply: Ohio State’s got the talent to run it back. The only question is whether their quarterback can rise to the moment.
Ryan Day’s QB gamble: Time for Julian Sayin?
Ohio State is heading into the season with some big questions, especially at quarterback. Last year, transfer Will Howard played better than expected and led the Buckeyes to a national championship. This year, though, Coach Day might be taking a chance on Julian Sayin.
Sayin might not have Howard’s experience, but he’s a highly praised five-star recruit. After a year learning at Alabama and then backing up Howard at Ohio State, Sayin saw limited action, getting 84 passing yards and one touchdown. With Howard gone, Sayin now has a clear path to become the starting quarterback, and he seems ready to take on the challenge.
Even with little game experience, there’s a lot of excitement around Sayin. CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate ranked Ohio State’s Julian Sayin second among Big Ten quarterbacks, only behind Penn State’s Drew Allar. This is impressive, especially with tough competition from quarterbacks like Oregon’s Dante Moore and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. While Coach Ryan Day hasn’t named a starter yet, it might be a repeat of last year—the starter wasn’t announced until close to the season, even though everyone had a good idea beforehand.
On top of that, Julian Sayin’s performance in the Buckeyes’ spring game really boosted the excitement. He threw for 175 yards, completing 17 of 24 passes, and had one touchdown. Even though some critics worry about his 6’1” height, Sayin’s accuracy keeps him highly competitive. If he starts strong, Ohio State’s offense could be explosive. With elite receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate eager to play, Sayin’s growth is key to the Buckeyes’ success.
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