It’s just been a few months since Julian Sayin started making waves as the Buckeyes’ starting QB. It almost appears to be destiny that brought him to Columbus and learn behind Will Howard and Devin Brown. Being in the 2024 recruiting class, Sayin was a five-star dual-threat quarterback. In November 2022, he chose Alabama because he wanted to play for Nick Saban. But that dream soon took a backseat when Saban retired from Tuscaloosa.

However, even during the very brief period Sayin was with Bama, he made the most of it as a student and as an athlete. When Sayin joined the Downs to Business podcast with Caleb Downs and Josh Downs, he narrated this awkward incident he had to go through on a recruiting trip to Miami, while he was still committed to Alabama. “A couple of years ago, there was a viral little clip of a coach from Miami talking about the nightlife there. You remember when he talked about that?” Josh asked Sayin. “Yeah, I remember. So I was with the 7 on 7 team and we were playing in Miami for the weekend,” Sayin narrated. 

“I was committed to Bama at the time, and the coach was like, he’s like talking to all the recruits there, and then started saying stuff about Bama, like, you know, it’s fun on Saturdays when you guys win, other than that, there’s nothing to do there. It’s not like Miami at all. And he just looked right at me.” So now do we think of Julian Sayin as the party type? Absolutely not. Sayin got a head start at Alabama, enrolling early in January 2024, though he was already getting reps in during Rose Bowl practices back in December 2023. He doesn’t come off as the partying type, though.

He’d rather hang out at the beach with family and friends, or hit the golf course. He’s even played a few rounds with Ohio State’s Lincoln Kienholz. Julian Sayin’s high school coach, Thadd McNeal, has known him since fourth grade. McNeal used to train Julian’s older brother back when he was in sixth grade and quickly noticed how much Julian loved the game. He says Julian’s the type who is “not about drama, and not super emotional.” And everyone around him utters the same thing. “He’s very structured,” his mother, Karen Brandenburg, told Lettermen Row.

“He doesn’t like a lot of distraction. He can handle ups and downs. But he likes to be very organized, very structured in things around him and control what he can.” So one might not really believe that Julian Sayin would run off to a party in town after winning a game, right? His decision to leave Alabama was solely based on Nick Saban’s retirement. Because who wouldn’t want to learn under the GOAT? But even after the transfer, Julian Sayin made his stance pretty clear on his decision. “I definitely made the right decision coming up here,” Sayin said last year. “It came with a lot of factors, but really I just wanted to be at a school with great tradition, great quarterback history, and somewhere I can develop.” 

It’s Julian Sayin’s world, and we are living in it

Julian Sayin has seriously developed himself. The 20-year-old has broken through with eye-popping stats and impressive efficiency, earning praise from both analysts and fans. ESPN analyst Bill Connelly’s updated Power 4 quarterback rankings show Sayin skyrocketing from 11th to the top spot. That’s because he’s completed over 80% of his passes, translating to 2,491 yards and 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions. That’s some serious ball control and decision-making.

His ability to place the ball with pinpoint accuracy and avoid turnovers has kept Ohio State’s offense rolling. On top of that, Sayin’s connection with elite targets like Jeremiah Smith, who’s hauling in an impressive 65 catches for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns, is commendable. Sayin’s vision and timing make the Buckeyes’ offense feel unstoppable. His Total QBR rating stands at an elite 91.1, leading all quarterbacks in the country.

He also has an 80.9% completion rate and a 62.0% success rate. Market-wise, Sayin is making waves off the field too, with an NIL valuation hitting $2.4 million. His value is completely based on how well he is steering one of the nation’s best offenses.