Ryan Day has Julian Sayin in the mix to be QB1. What does that mean for Ohio State's offense?
Ryan Day was quick to swoop in for Julian Sayin once the 5-star prospect hit the transfer portal at Alabama. Now, the star freshman is playing a serious role in Ohio State’s ongoing quarterback competition.
For a second straight offseason, the Buckeyes are knee-deep in a QB battle, something that has to have fans a bit on edge after Kyle McCord did not work out a season ago. On Wednesday, the head coach updated the situation but declined to say the coaching staff is narrowing down the group ahead of the spring game.
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“I don’t think we’ve narrowed it down, but you’re seeing certain guys make certain plays and certain things are starting to show up in practice… These guys bring great things to the table,” said Day. “The good news is they all can move, and that’s certainly made an impact on the run game.”
As for the specifics of Sayin, the true freshman removed his black stripe after just 9 practices with the Buckeyes. Day says that speaks to Sayin earning the respect of his teammates, but the young QB is also making some big throws in big moments.
“I guess it was practice 9 (when his black stripe came off), but he’s been in there competing, making plays. The guys know, and a lot of times with the black stripe, it’s a lot of time the players,” said Day. “They see it… 9 practices in, you could see he was making a lot of big throws in big spots, even against the 1’s. So the play speaks for itself. Again, usually when you get the black stripe off it’s because you’ve earned the respect of the team, and I think he’s done that.”
Day was also adamant that Sayin is in the mix to be Ohio State’s starting QB this season. So far, the expectation has been that former Kansas State star Will Howard would earn the job with Sayin, Air Noland and Devin Brown fighting for backup reps, but Sayin is not making the decision easy.
“He’s in the mix,” claimed Day. “Chip (Kelly) really rolls them, doesn’t matter if they’re with the 1’s, 2’s or 3’s… This has been a really good sample size to figure out where guys are at, and Julian’s been really competing his tail off.”
Finding the right QB this time around is paramount for Day, and it’s arguable that the Buckeyes do not have the time to commit to a project, similar to Kyle McCord’s early outings and struggles last season. Even with the questions at the position, Ohio State maintains the top spot in the latest Big Ten Championship odds, leading a group of favorites that includes Oregon, Michigan and Penn State.
What it means for Ohio State’s offense
On the one hand, hearing Sayin come in and immediately compete for reps in Columbus is good news. However, no one around the Buckeyes is looking for a similar QB battle like the one produced a year ago.
Throughout the spring and summer, neither McCord nor Devin Brown was able to convincingly win the battle. That was evident when the season rolled around with McCord struggling early on and at key times throughout the season. On the flip side, Brown was never efficient enough when in the game to get more reps and had his progression delayed by an injury in the Penn State game.
Is Day seriously considering Sayin for the starting job? At this point, anything is possible with the spring game still come, but giving a true freshman significant reps would be a departure from his norm as the head coach.
Ultimately, the best bet for Ohio State is that Howard steps up and balls out in the spring game and over the summer to prove he deserves the first crack at the starting job. If that doesn’t happen, hopes will quickly turn to Sayin delivering on his background as a 5-star prospect.
Outside the QB position, fans will also hope the offensive line and Chip Kelly’s help as the offensive coordinator will yield better results in the run game. The Buckeyes are bound to still throw things around a bit with a stacked receiver room, but revamping the ground game would help Ohio State’s offense return to the ranks of the elite.
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