Ohio State football QB Julian Sayin made the admission Buckeye Nation badly wanted to hear ahead of the 2026 season
Julian Sayin was good in his first season as an Ohio State starter, but most folks wanted to see an improvement in one area. It sounds like the Buckeye is working hard at making it happen.
The Ohio State Buckeyes were a very talented team last year, but came up short in trying to repeat as national champions. As we all know, the Buckeyes lost their final two games of the season to Indiana and Miami. Ohio State has a great chance to make a deep run in 2026, but much of the success is going to depend on QB Julian Sayin.
Sayin was good for Ohio State last season in 14 starts and was even a Heisman finalist. But there’s improvement needed in his second season, and it sounds like the California native is attacking the exact areas Ohio State fans want to see.
Julian Sayin calls out where he’s working to take the next step in 2026
Ohio State has been at its best in the past when the quarterback at least offers the threat of taking off and running. On a recent episode of The Triple Option, Sayin appeared and opened up about what he’s worked on this offseason.
“I think there were a ton of things this offseason that I was looking at to get better at, whether it’s having cleaner feet in the pocket, [or] having a little better pocket presence,” Sayin said. “Then knowing when to extend plays and take off. Third down and nothing’s open we gotta go pick it up with our legs and get the first down.”
Sayin completed a whopping 77 percent of his passes for 3,610 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions last season. Sack yardage is counted when tracking college rushing yards and Sayin had -44 rushing yards and no touchdowns on the ground. There were times when it looked like Sayin should take off and run in 2026, and it just didn’t happen.
Ohio State doesn’t need Sayin to be a J.T. Barrett, Justin Fields, or even Will Howard with his legs. He’s a smaller quarterback at 6-foot-1, and needing him to hold up for 16+ possible games is important. But Ohio State needs the threat of a dual-threat ability to reach its highest ceiling, and it sounds like that’s exactly what QB1 is planning on being.
The Buckeyes run into a very tough schedule in 2026 that starts with Texas in Week 2. Sayin taking the next step is vital for Ryan Day’s team’s success.