Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has Juline Sayin ranked third on his top 10 list of college football quarterbacks for the 2026 season. But beyond his slinging skills, Sayin is growing his game all around. Ohio State offensive lineman Carson Hinzman has revealed how vocal a leader QB1 has become.

“But out of that, he’s actually become a lot more vocal,” Hinzman said about Sayin to Adam King and Austin Ward on Tuesday on The Austin & Birm Show. “That makes everything a lot more fun. I used to call him clapper last year, when he first started because he actually wouldn’t talk at all. He would just, like, clap in the huddle. We go and play in a game, and Julian’s like, ‘Here we go’ [with a clapping gesture]. But even progressing throughout the rest of last year, he started to talk a little bit more.

“And then, especially this year, he’s been a really good vocal leader. Like, you can tell he has the confidence, like, ‘I know exactly what I’m doing.’ He would probably go up and run center. I mean, it might not go very well, but he could probably do it.”

When the Buckeyes flipped Sayin from Alabama, following Nick Saban’s retirement, his main attraction was his on-field skills. On3, which ranked him as a consensus five-star recruit, the No. 5 player in the nation, and the No. 1 quarterback, called him “the most refined and accurate passer in the 2024 cycle.”

After sitting behind Will Howard for a year, Sayin got his opportunity to start for Ryan Day’s team last season. His 77% completion rate was the highest in college football, but Ryan Day clearly wants more. During spring practice early this year, Day was vocal about his demands from Sayin. He wants the quarterback out of his comfort zone, taking charge of the offense as he should.

Interestingly, Sayin has admitted to working on that area. As Hinzman noted, things began to change since last year. Also, Sayin told On3 that he had been developing his vocal leadership and becoming more comfortable with the demands of leadership.

Julian Sayin leverages knowledge and relationships to lead

Despite not being as vocal as many would like, Sayin had a very impressive outing in 2025. He finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy Voting after leading the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season record, throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns. Well, Sayin has been able to replace vocal leadership with something else, and Hinzman revealed it.

“And he knows everything we got going on,” Hinzman continued. “He knows everything the wide receivers have going on, the running backs—I mean, he has a complete understanding of our offense. And so for him to go out, and ball out, and be like one of the guys on the team, is really special for us, because it’s one thing blocking for a quarterback, it’s one thing blocking for one of your best friends. So, I think for us to go on and really try to protect him, not only for our own game, but because we actually care about him. I think it’s important for an offensive line.”

Sayin’s 2025 campaign ended on a bad note with losses to Indiana and Miami. In both games, the QB struggled against pressure and was sacked multiple times. Specifically, his inability to scramble was highlighted as a major reason for his struggles. Heading into the 2026 season, he knows what needs to improve to fit himself in the new offensive scheme under Arthur Smith.

We saw a glimpse of his growth during Ohio State’s spring game. But as Hinzman noted, he has also been working off the field to build relationships with his teammates, and that will matter when the chips are down.