Nick Saban can pick out an elite quarterback when he sees one judging by Alabama track record. He expects Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, the final five-star quarterback he signed with the Crimson Tide, to be among them. Sayin put pen to paper in December 2023, a few weeks before Saban announced his retirement, and left the quarterback with an imminent transfer decision.
Sayin is the clear frontrunner to win Ohio State’s offseason quarterback competition with Lincoln Kienholz coming off the Buckeyes’ national championship season under Ryan Day.
“Julian’s a great young man and I think he’s getting bigger and stronger,” Saban said Wednesday via 97.1 The Fan. “He’s got really good touch, really good accuracy and good judgment. He’s a really good young player.”
Sayin redshirted last season behind Will Howard at Ohio State and got a chance to learn Day’s system without the pressure of being counted on for a playoff contender. Sayin said in March that as Howard’s understudy, he learned a ton from the veteran and knows what the staff is looking for in its next starter at the position.
“Coach Day has been instilling in our quarterback room that you’ve got to be the toughest guys on the team, you’ve got to be the hardest workers,” Sayin said during camp, via 247Sports. “And that goes to (strength) coach Mick (Marotti), too, in the weight room. Just being tough guys.”
Known for his strong arm and quick release, the former Elite 11 MVP split first-team reps this spring with Kienholz, with both players ahead of freshman Tavien St. Clair. What began as a five-man room dwindled to three in Columbus following the offseason transfers of Air Noland (South Carolina) and Devin Brown (California). For depth purposes, the Buckeyes since added Eli Brickhandler as a fourth scholarship option.
Saban previously was complimentary of Sayin’s work ethic and drive to develop after he signed with the Crimson Tide out of California. Saban is playing golf this week with Day after the two were paired together at the Memorial Tournament Pro-Am in Dublin, Ohio.
“Ryan and I are pretty good friends and glad to see him win the national championship last year. I used to coach at Ohio State, so I’ve got a little Buckeye in me,” Saban said.
Ohio State is a unanimous top-5 team in various post-spring early rankings despite replacing its starting quarterback, several offensive linemen and a bevy of draft picks on defense.
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