QB1 Julian Sayin (All B1G, B1G Frosh of Year, All American, National Frosh of Year, National Champion)

[RB07OSU]

And Howard. You don't have to (and shouldn't) be Johnny Manziel. You just have to pick up first downs when the field is spread and they're there to be gotten.

Howard was about damn perfect in deciding to run or throw. He was a decent athlete, but his decisiveness was the key. I think that can be learned, so I think Julian can get that decision making skill down. Lord knows the talent is there and he's a decent enough athlete.

 

[ScriptOhio]

“We didn't end the way we wanted to, we wanted to get a championship trophy, and it didn't end that way. So I think the whole program has a chip on our shoulder from that this year.”– Julian Sayin on Ohio State’s motivation entering 2026

Sayin didn’t want to share specifics about how Ohio State’s offense has changed this offseason under Arthur Smith, but he’s excited about what the Buckeyes’ new offensive coordinator has brought to the table. Asked to describe Smith’s offense in one word, Sayin said the offense will be “exciting.”

“He's done a lot of great things,” Sayin said. “You gotta wait for the fall and see. It's going to be exciting.”

 

[RugbyBuck]

Howard was about damn perfect in deciding to run or throw. He was a decent athlete, but his decisiveness was the key. I think that can be learned, so I think Julian can get that decision making skill down. Lord knows the talent is there and he's a decent enough athlete.

I think that's very right. Open space closes quickly. Taking it right damn now is the difference between 5-7 yds and 0-3 yards or worse. You're not, typically running past or juking defenders as a QB, at least not routinely. You're just taking the space that they've cleared. Take it, move the chains or give us a more makeable third or fourth down.

 

[Buckeneye]

I'm going to go against the grain here. Julian, like Manziel referenced above, is of a similar physical mold. But that also means his mobility doesn't have to be tuck and run like Johnny was. Preferably more so the classic 'run to throw'. Truth be told, he isn't big enough where he (likely) wants to consistently escape vertically into traffic. And he isn't gifted enough laterally to be RG3 or Lamar.

I'm fortunate to have access to the all-22 for the offense. When I chart the trends from the last 3 games of the season, the film is telling me there are two big components that need serious increased command.

- Eyes to safety play.

Not just having your eyes there, but understanding leverage, rotations and body language then processing all of that in real time.

- Throw timing.

JS can have a nasty habit at times of not throwing with timing and anticipation that I would expect from a player of his caliber. I don't want to say "questioning" what he's seeing. But there was some clear hesitation against Indiana on a number of snaps that cost him completions. (along with the damn ball tapping) This also ties into the first thing - understanding and processing rotations.

College Football defenses are winning right now. They're winning for two reasons. For the better part of 20 years, we've taught these young QB's pure progression while reducing the burden of educating them and advancing their understanding of coverage geometry. Defenses can get away with their rotations because they don't do, as the NFL says, "get eyes to safeties at this level". There's more movement not only on the backend, but the front as well. I've never seen more pre-snap stem & post snap movement along the Dline at the highest levels of college football than I have this past year.

Those two things are asking QB's and Offensive Lines to do one key thing - play smarter. To play as cerebral as you would play physical.

If Julian (and the OL) can speed up that thing between their ears, he won't have to use his legs anywhere near as wished. That's a last resort improvement and tends to come at the cost of passing efficiency. In 2026, I hope to see the Drew Brees comparison rightfully and deservedly used. Because right now it's just another white-boy cliche'.

 

[Thump]

I'm going to go against the grain here. Julian, like Manziel referenced above, is of a similar physical mold. But that also means his mobility doesn't have to be tuck and run like Johnny was. Preferably more so the classic 'run to throw'. Truth be told, he isn't big enough where he (likely) wants to consistently escape vertically into traffic. And he isn't gifted enough laterally to be RG3 or Lamar.

I'm fortunate to have access to the all-22 for the offense. When I chart the trends from the last 3 games of the season, the film is telling me there are two big components that need serious increased command.

- Eyes to safety play.

Not just having your eyes there, but understanding leverage, rotations and body language then processing all of that in real time.

- Throw timing.

JS can have a nasty habit at times of not throwing with timing and anticipation that I would expect from a player of his caliber. I don't want to say "questioning" what he's seeing. But there was some clear hesitation against Indiana on a number of snaps that cost him completions. (along with the damn ball tapping) This also ties into the first thing - understanding and processing rotations.

College Football defenses are winning right now. They're winning for two reasons. For the better part of 20 years, we've taught these young QB's pure progression while reducing the burden of educating them and advancing their understanding of coverage geometry. Defenses can get away with their rotations because they don't do, as the NFL says, "get eyes to safeties at this level". There's more movement not only on the backend, but the front as well. I've never seen more pre-snap stem & post snap movement along the Dline at the highest levels of college football than I have this past year.

Those two things are asking QB's and Offensive Lines to do one key thing - play smarter. To play as cerebral as you would play physical.

If Julian (and the OL) can speed up that thing between their ears, he won't have to use his legs anywhere near as wished. That's a last resort improvement and tends to come at the cost of passing efficiency. In 2026, I hope to see the Drew Brees comparison rightfully and deservedly used. Because right now it's just another white-boy cliche'.

GPA!

 

[ScriptOhio]

Howard was about damn perfect in deciding to run or throw. He was a decent athlete, but his decisiveness was the key. I think that can be learned, so I think Julian can get that decision making skill down. Lord knows the talent is there and he's a decent enough athlete.

RE: Julian Sayin's 77.0 completion percentage in 2025 is the best in single-season program history, is a Big Ten Record and also is third highest in FBS history (Bo Nix in 2023 at Oregon (77.4 pct.) and Mac Jones in 2020 at Alabama (77.4 pct.)).

Will Howard was a 5th year senior and had 4 years of experience at K-State under his belt when he came to Ohio State. Julian Sayin pretty much sat of the bench in 2024 as QB3 watching Howard play. In 2025 Ohio State didn't have the best OL or QB2/QB3. Besides not always having a lot of time to set up in the pocket and he was told not to run (to minimize his chances for an injury)he threw a lot of passes away just to avoid a sack. With a year of actual experience/more film watching/additional coaching I would expect him to be able to read defenses much faster and he should be able to see when he has an opportunity to run for a first down, not be hit, and just go out of bounds or take a feet first slide. He's the most accurate passer that has ever been at Ohio State, the WR room could very well be the best in the nation, and overall the RBs much are better than average.. If Ohio State can fix last year's "Achilles heel" (i.e. the OL) there's a very high ceiling in what Julian Sayin should be able to accomplish in 2026.