Julian Sayin choosing to play for Ohio State football almost didn’t happen, but one major decision altered the quarterback’s career and the future trajectory for the Buckeyes.

A member of the 2024 recruiting class, Sayin originally committed to — and signed — with Alabama to play under the legendary Nick Saban. That never happened with Saban retiring after the 2023 season, leading Sayin to hit the portal and eventually wound up transferring to play for Ryan Day in Columbus.

The addition of Sayin gave the Buckeyes the best of both worlds last year. A veteran starter in the form of Will Howard and a 5-star prospect (Sayin was the No. 1 QB per the 247 Sports Composite) to groom for the future.

With Howard now on his way to the NFL and Devin Brown and Air Noland transferring, the offseason QB battle will involve Sayin, former 4-star prospect Lincoln Kienholz and 5-star freshman Tavien St. Clair. But if early indications are to be believed, the job is ultimately Sayin’s to lose.

That perception was further echoed by a group of NFL-bound Buckeyes who are taking part in the NFL Combin this week. A host of OSU players took their time praising Sayin as the future of the program.

“I think Julian’s that guy, to be honest with you,” said cornerback Denzel Burke. He admitted Kienholz has his own things he brings to the table but had more to say about Sayin.

“I’m ready to see this little matchup they’re going to have, but Julian’s a great player. Great zip on the ball, great pocket presence. He’s going to have a good career,” explained Burke. He also said he knew “a couple practices in” just based on Sayin’s ability to throw the ball and being all about the craft.

Fellow QB Will Howard said he’s excited to see the entire room moving forward but was especially complimentary about Sayin’s passing:

“It looks so pretty coming out of his hand,” said Howard. “It spins like prettier than I’ve seen a lot of balls coming out of a QB’s hands. He’s got a real chance to be elite. I’m excited for him.”

Star running back TreVeyon Henderson joined that chorus, praising what he sees as elite accuracy on the part of Sayin:

“He’s going to be a great QB. He’s so accurate, I know Coach Day is definitely going to get him right… He’s going to be really good for Ohio State.”

Emeka Egbuka was also asked about Sayin’s prowess, and the wide receiver actually put Sayin “in that same category” as elite freshmen such as Jeremiah Smith. Egbuka went on to say he’s never seen the kind of arm talent Sayin has displayed in such a young player:

So, can Sayin deliver on those kinds of expectations to become one of the best players in Ohio State football history? That’s a lot to put on a young player, but based on early reviews, he has the talent worthy of the expectations.

Now, we’ll see how he can perform with plenty of weapons to distribute the ball to in 2025.