Ryan Day is seeing one QB ‘starting to look the part’ as Ohio State prepares to begin the 2025 season against Texas
The Ohio State Buckeyes have seen a lot of varying comments about which quarterback should start in Week 1 against Texas from open practices. Sensational headlines aside, it’s clear that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is hosting a legitimate battle between ballyhooed former five-star Julian Sayin and the underdog, Lincoln Kienholz. But some momentum […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes have seen a lot of varying comments about which quarterback should start in Week 1 against Texas from open practices. Sensational headlines aside, it’s clear that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is hosting a legitimate battle between ballyhooed former five-star Julian Sayin and the underdog, Lincoln Kienholz. But some momentum is building toward one of the competitors.
At least that’s the case, according to On3. In their latest update of quarterback battles around the country, they reported that Sayin’s showing a little bit more skill, and the redshirt freshman is developing nicely. Here’s what was reported on Sayin after the private scrimmage that was held last weekend.
“Coming out of the weekend, there is not much separation in the Ohio State quarterback competition. But a source tells On3 that Julian Sayin’s arm continues to flash, including a good scrimmage performance. The source also said Sayin is starting to look the part of a starter.”
I checked in with multiple sources around the team, and the opinions agreed that Sayin appears to have the inside track to winning the job. But this week’s practices and the weekend’s second scrimmage will determine it. And as On3 added, Kienholz isn’t out of this, and his Iron Buckeye nod from Day wasn’t insignificant.
“All that said, Lincoln Kienholz has positioned himself to compete with Sayin. He’s well-liked in the locker room and was an Iron Buckeye, which recognizes offseason efforts in the weight room and leadership.”
The difficult aspect of comparing Sayin to Kienholz is the stylistic choice Day will need to make for the sake of the offense. Scouts and teammates rave about how the ball comes off Sayin’s hand, claiming he has NFL-caliber velocity and placement right now. But there’s the lack of experience and some missed throws that could stall a unit ridiculously loaded with playmaking.
Compare Sayin’s merits to Kienholz, who is more of a dual-threat. Unlike Sayin, Kienholz is a less-impressive passer but plays within himself effectively. He might be more JT Barrett than Dwayne Haskins, but he can use his legs and throw catchable balls to produce an efficient, ball-control offense that simply outlasts opponents.
It’s a classic higher-floor and lower ceiling vs. higher ceiling but more variance argument. And Day’s staff appears to be closer to going with the latter, and considering the former for subpackages to keep defenses off balance.
I broke the news of Will Howard winning the job one day before it was announced at the press conference, and we’re on track to see a similar decision be made if the last two weeks are any indicator of how this race will play out. However, Day has the ability to hold his cards as tight to his chest as he ever has before, and almost no incentive to publicly announce the winner until the last minute.
