What Should We Expect From Julian Sayin as Ohio State's Starting Quarterback in 2025?

In the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the Ohio State Buckeyes got red-hot at the perfect time, winning the national championship as an eight seed. OSU returns its two best players in safety Caleb Downs and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, keeping the Scarlet and Gray in the big picture with the third-shortest odds to win the college football national championship (+650).

While Ohio State is expected to be one of the nation's best, it still has several unknowns with various key positions being replaced. This includes replacing quarterback Will Howard. Former five-star recruit Julian Sayin is expected to be the team's next starter.

As always, the quarterback position consistently holds the most weight on a roster. What can we expect from the redshirt freshman? Will Sayin help the Buckeyes potentially repeat as national champs?

Will Julian Sayin Start for Ohio State?

Sayin was a highly touted recruit, ranked as the sixth-best player and top quarterback by 247 Sports' composite score. After Nick Saban retired, Sayin quickly transferred from the Alabama Crimson Tide, landing with Ohio State. Once again, 247 Sports ranked Sayin as a prize, with the QB sitting as the sixth-best transfer from 2024.

After redshirting last season, Sayin has barely any experience under his belt with only 12 passing attempts in his career. Sayin has not been named a starter as he's in a battle with junior Lincoln Keinholz. However, he's widely expected to be the starter.

Sayin shined in the Spring Game with 158 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing 17 of 24 passing attempts (70.8%). Since then, Sayin seems to be gaining ground as Alex Gleitman of Lettermen Row reported Sayin has been improving in commanding the offense while getting stronger. He went on to report it'd be "very surprising" if Sayin didn't win the job.

We will have to wait until fall camp until Sayin is likely officially named the starter. With that said, how far could he take Ohio State in 2025?

What to Expect From Julian Sayin

We mentioned his sky-high talent, helping explain Sayin carrying the sixth-shortest odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+1500). Sayin being this far up the Heisman list once again points to the likelhood of him winning the starting job.

While we have little to go on, the redshirt freshman seems have the "first round NFL Draft" kind of talent. His lightning-fast release is the shiny trait that catches the eye. Greg Biggins of 247 Sports evaluated Sayin as a high school prospect, projecting him as a potential first-round prospect while comparing him to former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

Biggins went on to highlight Sayin's accuracy, anticipation, football IQ, and ability to extend plays. We've seen all of this in small doses, mostly from his Spring Game performance.

Of course, being on one of the nation's most talented teams helps Sayin's case. He has the luxury of throwing to college football's best wideout, Jeremiah Smith, along with more exceptional talent like Carnell Tate and tight end Max Klare, who was the top tight end in the transfer portal.

It's far too early to know what Sayin will become, but his path is reminiscent of the journeys of C.J. Stroud or Justin Fields. Similar to Stroud and Fields, Sayin is a former elite recruit who is ready to take over the starting job in his second season and could be the starter for two full seasons before potentially becoming a first-round draft pick. Furthermore, he should have elite wideouts at his disposal for his entire OSU career, including Smith likely being on the team through 2026.

As usual, we should expect some growing pains from Sayin early in the season. From the second half of the 2025 campaign and on, we could see Sayin develop into a true Heisman candidate with NFL potential. The expectations are high, but Sayin truly has the skillset to deliver.

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