The Ohio State QB battle is one of the biggest stories going on for the reigning national champions. Last season, Will Howard was under center, but he entered the 2025 NFL draft, so he is no longer on the roster. That means it will be a battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz.
Coach Ryan Day discussed the Ohio State QB battle and where the team stands right now. Let’s take a deeper dive into what he said and where the team stands in its quarterback competition.
Ryan Day Discusses Ohio State QB Battle
On Tuesday, coach Ryan Day discussed the Ohio State QB battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz. Kienholz as a backup quarterback on the Buckeyes’ roster last season while Sayin was a redshirt. Now, the two are competing for the starting job.
During the Big Ten Media Days, Day would explain how he will decide on the starting quarterback and that right now, the decision is still up in the air.
“Guys have taken leadership roles. They’ve been throwing with the wide receivers. I ask those guys all the time, and they like both of them. We’re going to put them in as many competitive situations as we possibly can to figure out who handles that the best because we’ve got to be on point Week 1. We can’t be messing around. I know that we’ll need all of those guys in that room this year.”
Ryan Day would compare this year’s quarterback battle with how it was last year with Will Howard bringing experience under center. He would mention expecting both to see the field at some point this season, but the competition is getting intense as the season opener against the Texas Longhorns gets closer.
“When you look at Will, he was a guy who was an older guy. who was experienced and he was able to sustain the entire season. That’s not always the way it is. We have to build depth in that room, as well. I’ve got a feeling they’ll all play throughout the season, but it’ll be a fierce competition to [decide] who the starter is.”
