Going into the 2025 season, a cloud of doubt looms over Columbus. Who’d be the new QB1? The question becomes pertinent when the last guy under the center won the Buckeyes a national championship. For now, Julian Sayin is leading the debate. Is it certain? Well, it would have been had Sayin not had iffy moments during the ongoing spring practices. There are two other options in Tavien St. Clair and Lincoln Kienholz. Head coach Ryan Day has already said the job is still in the air. So, a lot will hinge on how the former number 1 recruit out of California (Sayin) can raise his stock. But the early splash looks pretty banged up for the 19-year-old. On top of that, a shocking rating attributed to Will Howard’s grandeur last year made it even more contorted.

Ryan Day can’t have the luxury to rest for a minute this off-season. He relentlessly keeps solving the issues on both sides of the ball. Thanks to a mass exodus both in the roster and in the coaching room right after the Buckeyes lifted the trophy. The defense (the No. 1 ranked) looks pretty dithering after losing an entire starting line to the portal and NFL draft. DEs JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer and DTs Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams ended their watch for the Buckeyes. Ryan Day also lost DBs Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, and Lathan Random. Similarly, on offense, TE Gee Scott Jr., RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Emeke Egbuka, and OTs Donovan Jackson and Josh Fryar. All gone! It’s fair to say that the spine of the team is gone. Perhaps, the most important one is the man leading the offense, their QB1, Will Howard.

The Buckeyes QB1 turned into a phenomenal asset to the OSU offense. The journey is enthralling, and the output is even greater. The certified workhorse of the Buckeyes amassed a total of 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns (10 interceptions) in his final collegiate year and earned them a Natty after a decade. But the most hyped-up winner of the QB1 race this year didn’t even come close to what Howard possessed. Menace 2 Sports host Zach Smith asked the fans to lower the sights in the first place. “I’m not saying win the national championship because I think there’s so much that goes into that, but I’m talking about getting back in the playoffs and having a legit shot at the thing,” the analyst kept the bar in check for the OSU QB room.

Heading into the first day of the college football spring practice, Sayin showed some strong signs of trouble. Sayin didn’t showcase that poise as a frontrunner in the competition in the first extended scrimmage session. Although he will have a lot of time left on the plate to prove it, they say the morning shows the day. Meanwhile, Zach seemed busy analyzing his grade (that’s not top-tier, of course). “He needs to be a B+ quarterback, a B quarterback, or a C+; how good is he actually? Do we need him to be in his rookie campaign? Because I don’t think you need him to be some superstar quarterback right now,” said the analyst.

What grade did he offer to the premium starter last year, the iconic number 18 under the center? Well, Zach responded, “Probably B+. Yeah, B+ is pretty good, I think, like an overall B+, A minus, in the playoffs. I thought he was balling in the playoffs. The chunk of the playoff glory of the Buckeyes was on his shoulders, and he delivered with grace.”

Remember when Will Howard’s electric passing overshadowed the Irish defense? That was pure class that we don’t get to see every day! But guess what? The former QB1 doesn’t think OSU is running out of their QB room superiority.

Will Howard seems to be in awe of Julian Sayin’s early glimpses of the practice 

There have already been a lot of questions surrounding Julian Sayin’s expertise in winning the leadership of an A-lister offense.  But JD PicKell sees even deeper. He said that even if Sayin manages to earn his stripes, the real question is whether he could keep up with the paramount expectation. Because Julian Sayin doesn’t just need to be a leader; he needs to be the elevator of the entire Buckeyes offense. The same aura that Howard used to ooze out!

That’s a tricky juncture for a 19-year-old who’s never been in the mainstream spotlight that much. But his predecessor has full faith in him. “Julian’s one of the most accurate quarters. I’m excited for him. He definitely is stepping into that leadership position, and I’m excited for him to take on that new role,” Will Howard said in an interview. “And, you know, he was a little soft-spoken at first, but now this is his sophomore year, man. I’m excited for him to take that step and really be that leader for the team.”

However, the former Buckeyes signal-caller isn’t just pumping him up in the air. Rather, he minutely studied the new Ohio Day prospect and thinks the way the ball came out of his hand was a quintessential early sign of an elite-level quarterback. That’s huge, so to speak. It will be interesting to see if Sayin can prove Howard right, edging forward.