The Ohio State Buckeyes will have a different starting quarterback for the fourth straight season. Will Howard was the starting quarterback for Ohio State when they won the national title during the 2024 college football season.
Kyle McCord and C.J. Stroud the other two starters for the Buckeyes in that stretch. In 2025, Julian Sayin is in line to be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes despite being in a battle with Lincoln Kienholz and having five-star freshman recruit Tavien St. Clair on the roster as well. Ohio State will very well be in the national championship picture once again.
College Football Insider Believes That Ohio State Buckeyes Quarterback Julian Sayin Is Line To Potentially Have a Breakout Season
Michael Cohen of foxsports.com listed his top 10 players who are potentially set to have a breakout season in 2025 for college football. Cohen listed Sayin as one of his top 10 players to potentially have a breakout season in college football for the Buckeyes. He said,
“No official decision has been made in an ongoing quarterback competition for the right to lead Ohio State, the defending national champions, onto the field in a pressure-packed season-opener against Texas on Aug. 30, but it’s difficult to envision anyone other than Sayin winning the job. Sayin, a true sophomore, was a five-star prospect and the highest-rated quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle when he originally enrolled at Alabama in January of that year.
The surprising and unexpected retirement of head coach Nick Saban, who’d played a significant role in Sayin’s decision to join the Crimson Tide, sent Sayin into the transfer portal within a few weeks of arriving on campus. And that’s when Ohio State head coach Ryan Day made the decision to pounce despite already having signed elite signal-caller Air Noland (No. 56 overall, No. 4 QB) in that same class, laying the groundwork for Noland’s eventual transfer to South Carolina.
Sayin quickly impressed both Day and then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly with his lightning-fast release, tight-window accuracy and high-level processing skills that the coaches repeatedly praised throughout his first season with the Buckeyes, even as he sat behind starter Will Howard and backup Devin Brown on the depth chart.
Lingering concerns about Sayin’s size and physicality won’t be easy to shake between now and Ohio State’s first game — especially when juxtaposed with the brawny frame of Howard — but his arm talent alone should make it difficult for Lincoln Kienholz, a dual-threat player better known for his overall athleticism, to keep pace day after day in fall camp. Sayin is the most polished quarterback on the roster and best equipped to maximize the talents of wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. He could be a multi-year starter for the Buckeyes in 2025 and beyond. “
With Sayin being the third string quarterback for Ohio State during the 2024 college football season, he saw limited action. He completed 41.7% of his passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. It will be interesting to see how well Sayin will play during the 2025 college football season in a bigger role. Having Smith and Tate at wide receiver is going to help his development right away.
He is 6’1″ and weighs 203 lbs. The quarterback position is going to be huge for the Buckeyes for the 2025 season. With Kelly no longer the offensive coordinator and becoming the Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator, Brian Hartline was promoted from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Despite losing a lot of talent, this will still be one of the most talented teams in the country.
If Sayin plays well right away, the Buckeyes fanbase is going to happy. If not, then there could be a potential controversy. Ohio State will open the season at home in Week 1 against the Texas Longhorns at Buckeyes Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Sayin’s performance in 2025 will be the difference between being a legit national title contender and a fringe playoff contender.
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