"Don't mess this up"- Cam Newton fires warning to Julian Sayin ahead of Ohio State QB's debut vs. Texas in high-profile season opener

Saturday marks the first regular-season matchup in 20 years between Julian Sayin’s Ohio State and Texas. Sayin was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 class, but he has yet to start a college game.

Sayin will face Texas, which entered the season ranked No. 1, and their quarterback, Arch Manning, the top signal-caller in the 2023 class.

On his "4th & 1" with Cam Newton podcast, the former Carolina Panthers quarterback addressed a question on many minds in the last few days: who will face more pressure, Sayin or Manning?

"I'm going with Julian," Newton said (0:34). "This is new for him. This is a five-star, No. 1 player. Cool. All that's so far back there."

Newton’s assessment comes despite Sayin having a potent offense, highlighted by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who broke the Big Ten freshman record with 15 touchdowns in 2024.

"Nobody cares (that) you have Jeremiah Smith," Newton said. "Don't mess this up."

Meanwhile, Manning enters the 2025 season as a Heisman Trophy favorite and carries expectations that could dominate the spotlight all year. Newton is confident in Manning’s ability to handle it.

"Arch, on the other hand, even though he doesn't have any meaningful starts, he knows what the roar sounds like," Newton said (1:08). "The thing about Arch is that pressure looks and feels completely different. His pressure is how do you manage expectations? That's his pressure."

Analyst favors Arch Manning over Julian Sayin

In 2024, Julian Sayin played in only four games as a true freshman, primarily seeing limited action late as Will Howard’s backup. For 2025, he earned the starting quarterback position, edging out Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair.

Despite Ohio State’s history of successful first-year starters, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy favors Arch Manning over Sayin.

"I just don't think Julian Sayin was very good [last season]," McElroy said. "Granted, it's 12 reps from last year. But man, there were some bad misses. He had 84 yards or whatever, but almost all of that came on one throw on which a guy was wide open.

"Every contested throw he made last year was kind of off the mark. So we'll see. I'll be curious to see how he handles it. I think Arch (Manning) is significantly better than Sayin, and I think that's ultimately what determines the outcome. But we will see for sure."

Manning’s experience can give Texas an edge in Saturday’s matchup, but Sayin is poised for a strong performance to silence his critics.