Ryan Day is at major crossroads. High off of a College Football Championship win over Notre Dame (34-23), OSU’s fate is now face-to-face with two extremes: Repeat, or Relapse. With Will Howard set to join the higher echelons of the NFL, there was an uncanny silence in the QB room. However, with a same winning trajectory in mind, the front office was quick to grab three talented names—Tavien St. Clair, Lincoln Kienholz, and Julian Sayin. However, things are far from resolved, as the team must now make another major decision before the new season unfolds on August 23. So, who’s going to be the hallowed QB1? Well, if you ask an industry insider, Julian Sayin seems to have left his peers far behind…

But before we get to that, for the unversed: Tavien St. Clair had reportedly committed to the Buckeyes in June 2023, and finally signed to the roster in December last year. As a five-star prospect, the Bellefontaine High School player threw for 2,536 yards and 29 touchdowns in 11 games as a senior, and is expected to be a valuable addition to the loaded QB room. “[The front office] just saw some traits in him that were unique,” coach Day had said about him.

And then there’s Lincoln Kienholz, who was signed by OSU as part of the 2023 class. Initially serving as a third-string quarterback behind Kyle McCord, and Devin Brown that season, Kienholz served as a fourth-string quarterback this past season. While he appeared in two games in 2024, he did not attempt a pass—all of his 22 career pass attempts came during the 2023 season, during the team’s 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss against the Missouri Tigers, where the QB completed 6 of 17 passes for 86 yards. And then there’s the final name on the list. The one who’s emerged as the most popular choice as Day’s right-hand man, which was further confirmed by On3 National Recruiting Scout, Cody Bellaire…

During a conversation with Josh Newberg, on the On3 Recruits podcast, Newberg asked, “We got a former five-star, who you think is going to break out this season. Who’s it going to be?” 

To this, the Bellaire said, “This was a tough one for me…Former five-star Julian Sayin, who I believe is ultimately going to win the starting job in Columbus….This is a guy that was the definition of composed. I mean, you saw it with his demeanor under the bright lights of the elite 11; you saw it during some of the biggest games of his high school career…and he is a pure distributor of the football.” 

“He has such a quick release and is able to scan the field efficiently in order to get the ball out on time and in rhythm. But he also has the arm strength to push the ball vertically for a guy like Jeremiah Smith to go and run under it downfield, so I believe that the former five-star is going to look a lot like the baller we saw coming out of high school,” Bellaire concluded.

Well, a case can surely be made for Julian Sayin to take up the starting job in the QB department. In his high school, he was the most valuable player in the Elite 11 and finished his senior year with 2,347 yards, and 24 touchdowns at a 76% pass completion rate, averaging an impressive 14.8 yards per attempt. As a junior, Sayin threw for 2,708 yards and 27 touchdowns, and for 2,769 yards and 34 touchdowns as a sophomore. The youngster ultimately finished his high school career with 7,824 yards passing, 85 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. What’s more?

He was also listed as ESPN’s top-ranked dual-threat quarterback and the No. 1 player in the West Region and California. Also, this is a quarterback who can run, as he has garnered 605 yards over his high school career, with nine touchdowns, and a stellar average of 15.9/carry.

Notably, this is not the first time that the 19-year-old has made it to the top of the list. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg said on March 4, “Perhaps the path is clear for Julian Sayin, the Alabama transfer who enters his second season in Columbus after limited work (12 pass attempts) last fall. Sayin will develop under a reworked but familiar offensive staff, following promotions for Brian Hartline (lead coordinator), Keenan Bailey (co-coordinator) and Billy Fessler (quarterbacks coach).”

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And then there was David Kenyon from Bleacher Report who predicted as clear as day: “Early expectation? Sayin. Simultaneously, that educated guess is based solely on Sayin throwing 12 passes in 2024, whereas Kienholz had 22 attempts two years ago.”

But if you ask Ryan Day, he’s maintained that his three quarterbacks will have to fight for the position. “Don’t have any evaluation on it now. Going to be a big spring for those guys,” the head coach had said just earlier this week.

Having said that, Sayin is the kind of dual threat you do not find every day in a quarterback. But what about the others?

Does a transfer threat loom over Ryan Day’s head?

Well, Tavien St. Clair is someone who is a 2025 prospect and a 5-star one. He is ranked 4th nationally overall and looks to be the QB2 that Ohio State would need to develop and transition into QB1 over the years. Then comes the curious case of Lincoln Kienholz. The player has waited too long, by remaining on the sidelines for the past two seasons. So, it would be likely that if he doesn’t get the QB1 or at least the QB2 job, he will be seeking pastures anew. Because staying will be an awful waste of good talent.

But then again, the looming question is, will Ryan Day look into the transfer portal if Julian Sayin fails to impress him in spring? Well, it’s a valid question, and it seems Ryan Day has cleared his stance on seeking the portal’s help in his dilemma. The coach denied the use of the transfer portal in the future and insisted on using homegrown talent.

“We have some good quarterbacks in the system, and, you know, I shared with all of them that you know now, this was the week leading up to the national championship game that you know you had an opportunity to watch. And so you got to utilize that because that’s exactly what we’re looking for in a leader here at quarterback.” The verdict?

Well, the quarterback situation at Ohio State is nothing short of a chicken-and-egg situation right now. Day needs to act quickly in order to get his squad in order. But one thing is clear: no matter what happens and who gets selected, there will be one player amongst the three who most likely would be seeking the help of the transfer portal later in the season.