Troy Smith Says Julian Sayin Deserves More Credit, OSU QB Tops Pro Football Focus Grades For Ohio State

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has begun to draw attention for his play five weeks into the season, but Buckeye legend Troy Smith believes he still isn’t receiving the recognition he deserves.

The former Heisman trophy-winning quarterback, Smith, tweeted that if the Texas quarterback Arch Manning was playing to the level that Sayin is, he’d be first in Heisman votes. 

Gotta talk about straight facts. If the kid at Texas would’ve had the start that @juliansayin2 is having here for our @OhioStateFB, he’d be 1st in @Heisman votes, @daveyobrien talks, and any other major Awards at the end of the season, put some respect on what he’s doin..🤨

— Troy Smith (@yn_TroySmith) October 7, 2025

The message serves as both high praise for Sayin and a dig at Manning, who has had an up-and-down season at Texas so far. 

Sayin is coming off one of his best performances of the year against the Golden Gophers. The redshirt freshman completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, while also earning the mark of Ohio State and the Big Ten’s top-rated offense player according to Pro Football Focus (91.9). 

This is the second time in five weeks that Sayin has been one of the Buckeyes three highest-graded players, only defensive end Caden Curry and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald have also done it twice. Sayin has thrown for 1,313 yards, and a 13-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while completing 80.2 percent of his passes this season.

Manning, on the other hand, has had an inconsistent year for the Longhorns. He has led a Texas team that began the season as the Associated Press’ No. 1 ranked team to a 3-2 record, while passing for 1,151 yards and 11 touchdowns, but has completed just 60 percent of his passes and thrown five interceptions. The redshirt sophomore quarterback also has rushed for 160 yards and five touchdowns.