Before becoming a 2025 Heisman finalist at Ohio State, Julian Sayin chose to start his collegiate career at Tuscaloosa. He signed with the Tide in December 2023, joining early to participate in practices as they prepared for the Rose Bowl against Michigan. But his time in Tuscaloosa lasted less than a month. The Buckeyes’ QB1 opened up on why he moved to Columbus.

“Once Coach Saban retired, he was a huge reason why I wanted to go to Alabama, and once he retired, I felt like it was just the best decision for me to enter the transfer portal,” said Sayin during his Wednesday appearance on The Triple Option podcast. “I was looking at Ohio State and the quarterback pedigree that they have there. What Coach Day has done, and I think it was just all around the best fit for me, and so I was really glad to make that decision and couldn’t be happier.”

Sayin joined Alabama to play for Nick Saban, with whom he had developed a strong relationship during the recruiting process. Even Sayin’s ability to play under center impressed the legendary Alabama coach. He noted that “the ball comes out of his (Sayin) hand really nice” and praised his consistent accuracy. Following Saban’s retirement, the QB entered the transfer portal on January 19, 2024, and committed to Ohio State just two days later.

Having held the Buckeyes in high regard during his initial recruitment, Sayin found the transition to Columbus to be a natural fit. His existing relationship with head coach Ryan Day and the hiring of OC Bill O’Brien, who had previously recruited him to Alabama, heavily influenced his rapid move to Columbus.

Because he left so quickly, he did not spend a full season at Alabama and retained his redshirt for his first year at OSU. Sayin spent his debut year in 2024 as a reserve QB, appearing in 4 games to maintain his redshirt eligibility, before being named the Buckeyes’ QB1 in 2025.

His historic first year as a starter at Ohio State saw him lead the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season (12-0) and set the FBS single-season completion percentage record (77.0%). Last season, he threw for 3,610 yards and 32 TDs across 14 games.

Julian Sayin earned the QB1 position

The 2025 QB battle was described as a “neck and neck” race, and Julian Sayin’s primary rival was Lincoln Kienholz. OSU head coach Ryan Day stated that both players were capable of winning games, and the choice was difficult because Kienholz had also shown significant growth and leadership. The QB room also included high-upside players, such as true freshman Tavien St. Clair.

But the experience Sayin gained redshirting behind Will Howard in 2024 gave him a distinct edge, and he got the opportunity to play as the starting QB in 2025. Day waited until about 12 days before the season opener against Texas to make the announcement, wanting to ensure the starter had the full “command and confidence” of the locker room.

The OSU head coach described Sayin as very smart, able to handle large amounts of information quickly and run the offense with great poise and composure. Even though the QB performed well last season, the Buckeyes didn’t reach the ultimate prize in CFB after losing to Miami in the Cotton Bowl.

Heading into the 2026 season, Sayin is looking to improve on things that exposed him against Indiana and Miami. The QB’s pocket presence and hesitancy to use his legs were cited as his main flaws. And on his part, Sayin showed in the spring game that he is willing to change to take the next step.