Could Julian Sayin Win Ohio State Buckeyes Starting QB Job Over Will Howard?

According to Ryan Day, the Ohio State quarterback job is still up for grabs, and true freshman Julian Sayin is squarely in the mix

Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Julian / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

When Kansas State Transfer Will Howard committed and signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes this offseason, the prevailing theory was that he would be assuming the starting quarterback role from the departed Kyle McCord.

However, nearing the end of spring practice, it has not been that simple.

According to Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, true freshman Alabama transfer Julian Sayin is also 'in the mix' and making a push to win the starting job.

Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to quarterback Julian / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

“He’s in the mix,” Day said of Sayin. “Chip (Kelly) really rolls them, doesn’t matter if they’re with the 1’s, 2’s or 3’s… This has been a really good sample size to figure out where guys are at, and Julian’s been really competing his tail off.”

Sayin, of course, was an extremely important get for the Buckeyes this offseason, after he transferred from Alabama following the retirement of Nick Saban.

In fact, before originally signing with the Tide, Sayin ended the 2024 recruiting cycle ranked as the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the country behind Florida's DJ Lagway, and the No. 8 player nationally per the On3 Industry Ranking.

And once he got to campus, it didn't take long for him to make an impact either, shedding his black stripe after just nine practices.

“I guess it was practice 9 (when his black stripe came off), but he’s been in there competing, making plays," Day said. "The guys know, and a lot of times with the black stripe, it’s a lot of time the players. They see it… 9 practices in, you could see he was making a lot of big throws in big spots, even against the 1’s. So the play speaks for itself. Again, usually when you get the black stripe off it’s because you’ve earned the respect of the team, and I think he’s done that.”

All that said, according to Day, the competition expands well beyond just Sayin and Howard, with three other quality passers - Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz and Air Noland - also competing hard for the job.

In fact, Day believes the Buckeyes have not narrowed down the competiton at all, which each player standing out in their own way.

“I don’t think we’ve narrowed it down, but you’re seeing certain guys make certain plays and certain things are starting to show up in practice," Day said. "These guys bring great things to the table. The good news is they all can move, and that’s certainly made an impact on the run game.”

Buckeyes fans will get their first look at Sayin, Howard and Noland on Saturday when Ohio State takes the field for their annual spring game.

And perhaps, they might even see one of those players start to separate himself with a standout performance.