The Ohio State Buckeyes enter the 2026 season with something Ryan Day rarely enjoys: a returning starting quarterback. Julian Sayin, a Heisman finalist last season, is back for his junior year in Columbus after leading Ohio State to a 12-0 regular season. But the Buckeyes’ quarterback future beyond 2026 is far from settled, and the upcoming season will determine whether Sayin stays or whether Day turns to prized backup Tavien St. Clair.

Day has only had a returning starter at quarterback twice before during his tenure, with Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud. Sayin gives him that continuity again after a strong sophomore campaign that produced 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions while completing 77% of his passes.

Sayin’s late-season struggles leave room for growth

The numbers were impressive, but Sayin’s 2026 case won’t be built on what he did during a soft regular season schedule. Ohio State lost its final two games against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship and the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff. Sayin wasn’t at his best when the lights were brightest.

His bounce-back after throwing an interception on the first drive against Michigan showed resilience, but that was the exception rather than the rule down the stretch. There’s still room to grow in year two as a starter, and the Buckeyes need Sayin to take that step if they want to reach their goals. His ability to drive the ball and elevate receivers beyond Jeremiah Smith will be critical. He’s an efficient passer, but at around 6 feet tall with limited athleticism, he needs to show more in 2026.

Tavien St. Clair looms as Ohio State’s quarterback-in-waiting

The bigger picture at quarterback gets complicated after this season. Sayin is eligible to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, but he doesn’t have to. If he doesn’t receive first-round grades from the league, staying another year might make sense on paper. The problem is what that means for St. Clair.

St. Clair, a top-5 national recruit out of Bellefontaine, Ohio, in the 2025 class, will have spent two years on the bench after this season. He’s a 6-foot-4 quarterback with elite arm talent that Day would love to deploy. If Sayin returns for a third season, the Buckeyes risk a repeat of the Kyle McCord situation from a few years ago, when Ohio State didn’t guarantee McCord the starting job and he transferred to Syracuse.

That’s not to say it will play out the same way, but it’s a real possibility. Welcoming Sayin back could leave the door open for St. Clair to transfer, and he likely would rather than sit for three years of college.

The 2026 season will answer Ohio State’s biggest question

All of this depends on how the season unfolds. If Sayin plays at an elite level and Ohio State wins a national championship, it’s hard to see him not making the jump to the NFL. The 2027 draft class is expected to be loaded at quarterback, which could further complicate his draft stock if he doesn’t separate himself.

If the Buckeyes fall short of their goals and Sayin isn’t superb, there’s a conversation coming about the future of the position. Day and his staff will have to weigh whether running it back with Sayin is worth the risk of losing St. Clair, and that decision will shape the quarterback room in Columbus for the next two to three years.