Ohio State has a long history of producing elite quarterbacks, from Troy Smith to Dwayne Haskins to C.J. Stroud. But the program has never quite been able to capture one particular freshman honor that recognizes the best first-year player in all of college football. But now, that streak has finally ended because on Tuesday, redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin accomplished something that even C.J. Stroud couldn’t pull off.

On Tuesday, the Maxwell Football Club announced that Sayin had been named the 2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year. He became the first Buckeye ever and the first Ohio State quarterback to win the prestigious award. The honor is particularly meaningful given that Stroud came agonizingly close to winning it back in 2021 when he and running back TreVeyon Henderson were both named finalists. Now, four years later, Julian Sayin has finally brought the award back to Columbus. He joins teammate Caleb Downs, who won it in 2023 as a freshman at Alabama, as the only current Buckeyes to have received the recognition.​

What made Sayin’s 2025 season truly historic was his amazing accuracy. He led the nation’s quarterbacks with a 78.4% completion percentage. This is the best single-season mark in college football history. He finishes 1% ahead of the record of Bo Nix. Through 13 regular season and bowl games, Sayin threw for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns against just six interceptions while leading Ohio State to a 12-1 record. 

He also led the nation in passer rating with 182.1, and he completed at least 70% of his passes in 11 different games. Those games included an extraordinary 94.7% performance against Grambling State in which he went 18-for-19, and threw for 406 yards with four touchdowns. It also includes Sayin’s demolition of Penn State in which he completed 87% of his passes (20-for-23) for 316 yards and four touchdowns, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure against elite competition.​

Sayin’s 2025 campaign earned him recognition far beyond the Shaun Alexander Award. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting after earning an invitation to New York City as a finalist. He also received finalist nods for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, and Walter Camp Award, while earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Big Ten honors from both coaches and media. 

The other finalists for the Shaun Alexander Award included Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr, North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker, and Alabama cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. This group is the reason why Sayin’s victory is so impressive. Mestemaker leads the nation in passing yardage, Malachi Toney has had a plethora of poster catches, and CJ Carr has been elite in every game. But even against this tough competition, Sayin was the one who was chosen as the winner for this award. That speaks volumes for the young QB.

The “calm in the storm” mentality

What separates Julian Sayin from other talented quarterbacks is the mental makeup that earned him the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award in the first place. When asked about his approach heading into Wednesday’s Cotton Bowl matchup against Miami, Sayin’s response revealed exactly why he’s been so successful. 

“Trying to be the calm in the storm for the offense. Trying to be the calm in the storm for the team, really,” Sayin explained. “When things are good, be even-keeled; when things are bad, be even-keeled. Just be calm and be poised in all of the noise that is going on.” That level of emotional intelligence is rare for any quarterback, let alone a redshirt freshman playing at one of college football’s most high-pressure programs. Sayin understands that the quarterback position gets way too much blame when things go poorly and probably gets way too much credit when things go well. So he focuses on being the steady hand his teammates can rely on, regardless of the scoreboard.​

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That composure was tested in Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship game, where Sayin was sacked five times and threw an interception that significantly influenced the outcome. Rather than deflecting blame, Sayin’s immediate reaction was telling. 

“Not really a thought. Just sick to my stomach that we lost and really wanted to win the conference for our university.” He took responsibility for needing to protect the football better, telling reporters that “managing the ball will be vital” heading into the playoff matchups. That team-first mentality is a big reason why the Buckeyes still have a legitimate shot at capturing a national championship despite the setback.