There’s this interesting disconnect happening at Ohio State right now, and it’s all centered on one redshirt freshman quarterback. Julian Sayin just put on an absolute clinic against Penn State, throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns on a ridiculous 20-of-23 completion rate. The performance was so clean, so dominant, that it’s got people around the program singing his praises in different ways, literally different ways.

Jeremiah Smith, his star receiver, isn’t holding back one bit. The guy who’s supposed to be Mr. Heisman himself, preseason favorite and all that, is basically saying that Julian Sayin is the real deal in the most flattering way possible. “Jeremiah Smith says Julian Sayin is the best deep-ball thrower he’s ever been around,” Dan Hope reported after the game. That’s a massive statement when you think about it.

Smith’s been around elite quarterbacks. But here he is calling Sayin out as the best he’s ever seen at one of the most difficult skills in football. When you’re on the receiving end of passes game after game, you develop a pretty decent sense for whose arm talent is special. 

Ryan Day, though, is pumping the brakes just a little bit. The head coach isn’t saying Sayin isn’t great. But he has been more measured with his words in a way that’s distinctly different from Smith’s enthusiasm.

Hope also reported, “Ryan Day said he didn’t want to make any proclamations right now about whether Julian Sayin is the best quarterback in the country, but believes Sayin should ‘at least be in the conversation’ for the Heisman Trophy if he keeps playing the way he’s playing.” 

Notice the difference there? Day’s holding Sayin just enough while Smith’s already crowned him. Day wants to see consistency, wants to see the tape over the full season, and wants to see what happens in the biggest moments. It’s the coach’s version of caution meeting the receiver’s version of conviction.​

An interesting point that really drives home just how special Smith thinks Sayin is that Smith caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns with Will Howard during Ohio State’s national championship run. That’s elite, championship-level chemistry between a quarterback and receiver. Will Howard was a dude, and Smith absolutely did damage with him.

Yet somehow, after catching bombs from Howard and experiencing that kind of success together, Smith is out here calling Sayin “the best deep-ball thrower he’s ever been around.” That’s essentially saying Sayin has a skill set that surpasses what he was already working with at the highest level of college football. 

Sayin’s deep ball specifically showed up big time. There was that gorgeous 45-yard touchdown to Carnell Tate on a go route that extended Ohio State’s lead to 17-7 midway through the second quarter. And later, Smith made an absolutely ridiculous one-handed grab on an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that basically sealed the game. The dude was 6-for-6 on the opening drive alone. Sixteen consecutive completions to start the game. These aren’t cherry-picked stats; this is just what happened.​

The intangible that sets Sayin apart

Here’s where Ryan Day’s measured perspective actually makes a ton of sense. And it ties directly into what separates Sayin from just being another talented quarterback. While Jeremiah Smith is rightfully geeking out about the arm talent and the deep-ball prowess, Day’s looking at something that runs even deeper.

When Day was asked about Sayin’s calmness, he said, “That’s something that’s very hard to teach, when you can feel the rush and not have your eyes on it, your eyes can be down the field, you can anticipate what’s happening and the ball comes out.” 

“I’d like to tell you that we coach that, but we don’t. He has that feel and that’s something that makes a quarterback special. He has that trait.” What Day’s really saying is that Sayin has this sixth sense. This quarterback instinct lets him process the pocket collapsing while simultaneously knowing where guys are going downfield. 

That’s probably why Day remains cautious about making proclamations while still believing Sayin deserves to be in the Heisman conversation. Because what Smith’s celebrating is just one part of the equation. The real magic is that combination of arm talent plus this innate feel for the game, plus the composure to execute while the world’s falling apart around him. That’s the difference between a really good quarterback and a special one.