Ahead of the 2025 season, expectations for Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin were sky high.
Still, most wouldn’t have predicted the elite level play the first-year starter has produced for the Buckeyes.
Head coach Ryan Day spoke highly of Sayin during his weekly press conference Tuesday, stating that the Sayin has improved tremendously throughout the season, and with a strong innate ability to quarterback, the potential is unlimited for the redshirt sophomore.
Day was asked if Sayin possessed any traits that are the best of any Ohio State quarterback he coached, and although he joked that the question would get him in trouble with former Buckeye C.J. Stroud, he highlighted the gunslinger’s accuracy and intelligence.
“When you see Julian, you see the decision making and his mind works quickly,” Day said. “The ball comes out quick and the accuracy is on point.”
Though it hasn’t always been perfect, Sayin flashed his potential early and often.
In Ohio State’s 14-7 win over then-No. 1 Texas in Week 1, Sayin completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown. Although his statistics aren’t eye popping, Sayin kept the ball out of trouble and capitalized for the Buckeyes’ biggest play of the contest — a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Carnell Tate just minutes into the fourth quarter.
Day said Sayin’s early poise and ability to handle pressure and outside noise were signs of great things to come for the quarterback.
“People said it was the biggest opener in the history of college football and it wasn’t just a week lead up it was like a month lead up,’ Day said. “(Sayin) wasn’t fazed, made good decisions, threw that big touchdown pass to Carnell, and when he came off the field to me, he was communicating what he saw well without that look in his eye like he didn’t know. I said to myself, ‘I think we may have something here.’”
However, Day’s premonition didn’t scratch the surface of what Sayin has done for Ohio State in 2025. Through eight games, Sayin completed 176 of 218 passes for 2,188 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Day said that Sayin’s confidence, situational awareness and his knack for playing smart football has made him a stabilizing force for the Buckeyes early in his tenure, boosting his head coach’s belief in what the offense can become.
“I mean, if you’re an offensive player right now, to know that Julian’s back there with the ball coming out of his hands quickly and the confidence and decision making, it’s obviously exciting to be around that,” Day said. “Not only for right now, but into the future. And he’s handled that well and produced at a high level up to this point.
“Now that being said, I think the first thing is, he’s got a bunch of guys around him that he needs to make routine plays routinely. And then he needs to obviously play well situationally. He’s done that up to this point, and he’s made some tremendous throws and made good decisions taking care of the football.”
In his press conference, Day pointed to Sayin’s accuracy and decision-making as arguably the quarterback’s best attributes. The Buckeyes head coach noted that the ball hardly ever hits the turf at practice — a testament to Sayin’s on-time throws and ability to locate open targets.
Sayin currently leads the country with an 80.7 completion percentage, a mark that is not only by far the best among FBS quarterbacks this season, but also would break Bo Nix’s current record for the NCAA’s best single-season completion percentage (77.5).
The redshirt sophomore quarterback is also now the odds-on favorite at +175 to win the Heisman Trophy. However, Day said individual performances and recognition is the last thing on Ohio State’s mind, as they are simply a byproduct of winning and team success.
“Just win the game, I mean, that’s it,” Day said. “We gotta get better, we gotta win the game. If individual honors show up at the end of the season, they do, but that’s not the number one goal.”
Though Sayin has already helped lead Ohio State to a perfect 8-0 record, it’s still early in the quarterback’s collegiate career with up to eight remaining games in 2025 and a full third season to spend with the Buckeyes in 2026.
Day said Sayin’s early production is just a preview of the player he believes the quarterback can become.
“He’s just getting started,” Day said. “Which is very exciting for all of us.”
