Story by
Ohio State QB Julian Sayin a Heisman favorite: 'He deserves to be in the conversation'
- Story by
- Ohio State QB Julian Sayin a Heisman favorite: 'He deserves to be in the conversation'
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Listen up, young'uns, because this story is from before your time, back when Ohio State was more QBWho? than QBU.
It's a story heavy on history, because understanding what was becomes essential to appreciating what is.
Advertisement
And what is? Julian Sayin . Man, oh, man, he really is. The redshirt freshman continued to impress Heisman Trophy voters with his passing numbers in the 38-14 win against Penn State on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Sayin completed 20-of-23 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Without an interception. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're having a good day when you finish with more passing touchdowns than incompletions. I also think it's more than a little impressive when a quarterback's completion percentage (an FBS-leading .807) is higher than the average free-throw percentage (.803) among NBA point guards.
I've witnessed dozens of quarterbacks come through the Horseshoe over the past 30 years, and watched a dozen more in the two decades before that, and Sayin is better than all but a few. As a high-percentage passer. As a deep-ball thrower. As a QB who sees the game and feels the defensive pressure as well as anyone who has worn the scarlet and gray.
The Californian is not among the top five as a runner, ranking behind, in order, Braxton Miller , Terrelle Pryor , Les Horvath, J.T. Barrett , Cornelius Green and Rex Kern, but as a pure passer with an intuitive feel for the game he is right there with Stroud and Dwayne Haskins .
It's also not like Sayin can't run. He showed enough fancy footwork in the win over Penn State that the question was put to rest whether he can get out and go if necessary. His 9-yard scramble on 3rd-and-5 with OSU leading 10-7 in the second quarter was the turning point in the game, coach Ryan Day said.
Advertisement
I'm not sure I'd go that far — Sayin's arm, combined with the hands and legs of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, turned out to be pretty darn important — but Sayin's run definitely was an eye-opener, as much for his lack of panic on the play as much as his speed and agility.
But enough of 'what is.' Let's look at what OSU was B.D. (Before Day). It would be wrong to suggest the Buckeyes were void of quarterback talent until Day arrived as quarterbacks coach in 2017, before taking over as head coach for Urban Meyer in 2018.
Going back to Horvath, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1944, Ohio State's history is dotted with quarterbacks who were more than simply dependable. Tom Matte finished seventh in the Heisman voting in 1960, Kern was third in 1969 and fifth in 1970, and Art Schlichter was fourth in 1979, sixth in 1980 and fifth in 1981, the only OSU quarterback to finish top-10 three times.
But Ohio State never was viewed as a "quarterback-friendly" program until the mid-1990s, when Bob Hoying (10th in 1995 Heisman voting) and Joe Germaine (ninth in 1998) arrived. Troy Smith won the 2006 Heisman, but it was another six years before another Ohio State quarterback (Miller, fifth) was listed among the top-10 finalists. Even then, OSU seldom was mentioned as an A+ developer of NFL QB talent.
Advertisement
Ryan Day deserves credit for Ohio State QBs' success
Ohio State produced elite tailbacks and linebackers, but rarely was it the first place top-rated high school quarterback recruits looked to go. (Exception: Pryor became OSU's first five-star QB when Jim Tressel landed him out of western Pennsylvania in 2008).
Day changed all that, for which he does not get enough credit. It means something when you can bring in the best at the most important position on the field. Under Day's tutelage, Haskins finished third in the Heisman in 2018, Justin Fields was third in 2019 (the year former OSU QB Joe Burrow won it at LSU) and seventh in 2020, and Stroud placed fourth in 2021 and third in 2022.
Sayin saw Day's success with quarterbacks, as well as the Buckeyes' abundance of talent at receiver, and made a beeline to Columbus as an Alabama transfer after Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired in January 2024.
Advertisement
"When you see guys like Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud , guys like Garrett Wilson and (Chris) Olave, when I was growing up watching it, it definitely influenced me (to come here)," Sayin said. "With the quarterback development with coach Day and then receivers who make plays whenever the ball is in the air."
Sayin appears to be in a three-player Heisman competition , joining Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson . Just don't ask Day to cast his vote yet.
"I've watched (other QBs) from afar," Day said. "There's some really good ones across the country this year. And a lot of good quarterbacks in the (Big Ten) conference. It will be told when the season is over. It's easy to be whatever week, 8, 9, 10 and try to make proclamations on where guys are. We have to see what the season holds for us and the progress that's made and go from there."
That's Day's way of keeping Sayin's head on straight, or at least keeping his eyes from looking too far ahead. But of course Day thinks Sayin deserves to be in the Heisman discussion.
Advertisement
"I do think if Julian continues to play the way he is playing, he deserves to be in the conversation, at the very least," Day said, adding that Sayin's "mind works as quickly as the ball comes out (of his hand.)"
Ah, there it is, the trait that separates the good ones from the great ones. Strong arms are a dime a dozen. Accuracy takes a bit more talent. But a quick-thinking mind that can read and react to a new-look defense or blitzing pass rush is a game changer.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025.
Julian Sayin has all the ingredients of an elite QB
Ohio State hasn't had a ton of guys with the whole package: power arm, accuracy and elite mental processing, but they have one now. Will he win the Heisman? One keen eye thinks he should.
Advertisement
"J Cool for Heisman. That's what I'm going with," OSU safety Caleb Downs said. "He's played at an elite level. You saw the explosive plays we had today (57-yard strikes to Smith and Tate). Even the third down (run), when he broke the pocket, I was like 'Oooh, hoo, hoo, hoo,' just making plays. I'm just excited for my guy."
Ohio State fans should be, too. As Day continues to build the Buckeyes into a QBU, Sayin is the next real deal.
Rob Oller writes columns for The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio State football QB Julian Sayin making strong Heisman Trophy case
