ESPN analyst brings fair concern to the surface about Ohio State’s potential starting quarterback
Ohio State is once again replacing their starting quarterback in 2025 for the third straight season. C.J. Stroud was the last quarterback to start more than one season consecutively for the Buckeyes and they’ve had two starters since then. After Kyle McCord held it down for a year, the Buckeyes won a National Championship with […]
Ohio State is once again replacing their starting quarterback in 2025 for the third straight season. C.J. Stroud was the last quarterback to start more than one season consecutively for the Buckeyes and they’ve had two starters since then.
After Kyle McCord held it down for a year, the Buckeyes won a National Championship with Will Howard this past season. Howard is out of eligibility and now the Buckeyes are once again ramping up a quarterback competition.
Most figure that former five-star Alabama signed and Elite 11 winner Julian Sayin will be that guy. However, it isn’t going to be a cakewalk for Sayin. Lincoln Kienholz is in his third season with the program and was believed to have outperformed Sayin in the first scrimmage of the spring.
Following that scrimmage, ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy came away with a bit of concern regarding Sayin:
“While I’m not yet at the point where I’m super concerned about Julian Sayin, all I’m saying is that if he doesn’t clean it up in the next scrimmage and the scrimmage after that and then clean it up throughout the summer and then clean it up throughout fall camp, then it’s something to be mindful of,” McElroy said recently. “We have seen the pressure get to one five-star plus super recruit in Jackson Arnold just a year ago.
"I hope it doesn’t happen for Julian Sayin, but with social media, with the pressure, with coming off a national championship, there is pressure, and it is worth noting that it has had a drastic impact on guys in the past. It might not [happen] for Julian Sayin, hopefully, it doesn’t, but it has had an impact on guys who had the world expected of them when they were stepping into a starting role.”
Arnold was a former five-star recruit who signed with the Sooners and passed for 1,421 yards and just 12 touchdowns in 10 games with the Sooners. After two years in Oklahoma and getting his chance to be the starter, Arnold transferred to Auburn. Now, the offensive holdback wasn’t solely on Arnold, but he wasn’t the quarterback many thought he would be coming out of high school.
It is important to stress here that it has been just one spring scrimmage that Sayin has participated in. It is still very early on and we’re months out from the season. Still, McElroy’s point is valid because it can happen.
Ohio State has typically had solid quarterback play under Ryan Day and even back to Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes have always figured out how to make the position work. Sayin has all of the talent in the world and there is plenty of reason to be excited about what he can be.
