If you walk into a bar in Columbus right now, you aren't asking "who is Ohio State QB" for the 2025 season—that's settled. You're likely arguing about whether Julian Sayin is the best to ever do it or if he just had a really good year before the wheels came off in the postseason. It’s been a wild ride. Honestly, following the Buckeyes' depth chart lately feels like tracking a high-stakes poker game where the dealer keeps swapping the deck.
One minute we’re talking about Will Howard leading a national title run, and the next, a redshirt freshman from Carlsbad, California, is rewriting the record books.
Julian Sayin is the guy. He’s the undisputed QB1. But as we sit here in mid-January 2026, the conversation is already shifting toward whether he can hold off the local hero, Tavien St. Clair, for another year. College football moves fast. If you blink, your favorite 5-star recruit is already in the transfer portal heading for the SEC or the ACC.
Julian Sayin: The Freshman Who Almost Had It All
Sayin’s 2025 season was statistically insane. Let’s just call it what it was. He completed 78.4% of his passes. Think about that. Nearly eight out of every ten balls he threw found a receiver. That didn’t just lead the Big Ten; it eclipsed the NCAA record previously held by Bo Nix.
He didn't just dink and dunk, either. He had 30 touchdown passes and over 3,600 yards. He was a Heisman finalist, finishing fourth in the voting. For a kid who wasn't even the starter on day one of spring ball last year, that's a massive leap.
But sports are cruel.
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The Buckeyes went 12-0 in the regular season, looking like an absolute juggernaut. Then came the Big Ten Championship. A loss to Indiana. Then the Cotton Bowl. A 24-14 loss to Miami. Suddenly, all those records felt a little lighter. People started looking at those eight interceptions and wondering if the "clutch" factor was missing. That’s the life of a Columbus quarterback. You win a lot, you’re a god. You lose the last two, and people start Googling the backup.
The Room Behind the Starter
It’s easy to forget how crowded this room was. Remember Devin Brown? He spent years fighting for the job, stayed loyal after the 2024 title run, but eventually realized the Sayin train wasn't stopping. He’s at California now. Air Noland? He’s on his third school in three years, having just signed with Memphis after a stint at South Carolina.
The current depth chart is still terrifyingly talented, though.
- Julian Sayin (RS Sophomore): The incumbent. High floor, higher ceiling.
- Tavien St. Clair (Sophomore): The "hometown" kid from Bellefontaine. He’s 6'4", 230 pounds, and looks like he was built in a lab to play for Ryan Day.
- Lincoln Kienholz (RS Junior): The veteran presence who has stuck around through multiple regimes.
St. Clair is the name everyone is whispering about. He was the #1 overall recruit in some rankings for the 2025 class. He didn't see much action last year—just a couple of passes—but he has that "it" factor. If Sayin stumbles early in 2026, the "Tavien" chants at the Shoe are going to be deafening.
Why the 2026 Season Feels Different
The 2026 schedule is going to be a gauntlet. We already know there’s a massive game against Oregon on the horizon. That’s become a legitimate rivalry now that the Ducks are in the Big Ten.
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Ryan Day has always preferred a quarterback who can process information quickly. Sayin does that. He’s got that "point guard" mentality where he just gets the ball to playmakers like Jeremiah Smith. Speaking of Smith, having a generational talent at wide receiver makes any quarterback look like an All-American. Smith hauled in over 1,200 yards last year as a sophomore.
The big question for the 2026 iteration of the Ohio State QB is mobility. Sayin can move, but he’s not a "run-first" guy. In the losses to Indiana and Miami, the pocket collapsed, and things got messy. Fans are wondering if the offense needs more of a dual-threat presence to keep defenses honest.
The Transfer Portal Shadow
Even though the Buckeyes seem set, you can never rule out the portal. Ryan Day has shown he’s not afraid to bring in a veteran if he thinks the current room is too green. They did it with Will Howard, and it resulted in a ring. However, with Sayin and St. Clair both being former 5-stars, bringing in a transfer right now would likely cause one (or both) of them to leave. It’s a delicate balancing act.
What Most People Get Wrong About the QB Battle
People love to talk about arm strength. They want to see the 70-yard bombs. But if you listen to Ryan Day or Chip Kelly talk, they don't care about the highlights as much as the "boring" stuff.
- Third-down conversion rates: Can you find the check-down when the primary read is covered?
- Red zone efficiency: 2025 saw some struggles here late in the year.
- Presnap reads: Identifying the blitz before the ball is even snapped.
Sayin won the job because he was the most consistent in those three areas. St. Clair is catching up, but he’s still learning the nuances of a complex NFL-style system.
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Actionable Insights for Buckeyes Fans
If you're trying to keep up with who is leading the charge heading into spring practice, keep an eye on these specific indicators:
Watch the Spring Game Snap Counts
The distribution of snaps between Sayin and St. Clair in the 2026 Spring Game will tell you everything you need to know about the "competition." If it's 50/50, we have a real battle. If Sayin takes the first three series and sits, it’s still his team.
Monitor Transfer Portal Windows
The window just closed in mid-January. If the roster stayed intact, it means the coaching staff has successfully convinced both Sayin and St. Clair that they have a path to the NFL through Columbus. That’s a massive win for culture.
Focus on the Offensive Line
No matter who the QB is, they need protection. Ohio State has been hitting the portal for tackles. If the line improves, Sayin’s "processing speed" becomes a deadly weapon. If not, even a talent like St. Clair will struggle under pressure.
Look at the "Jeremiah Smith Factor"
Watch who is throwing to Smith during open practice sessions. Chemistry with WR1 is usually the tie-breaker in any close quarterback competition.
The reality of the Ohio State quarterback situation is that it's no longer a one-year conversation. It's a revolving door of elite talent where the "backup" is often a future first-round pick. For now, Julian Sayin is the man in the arena, carrying the weight of a fan base that expects nothing less than a trophy every January.