Ryan Day announced on Monday that redshirt freshman Julian Sayin would be the starting quarterback for Ohio State in the 2025 season. Day said Sayin proved to be “more consistent” than fellow quarterback Lincoln Kienholz during the competition and noted that the gap between the two widened in the past week.“You see there was a lot of growth made,” Day said on Monday (per NBC4). “Julian has gotten stronger and bigger. He’s learned the offense and is playing faster."Offensive coordinator Brian Hartline also credited Sayin’s steady play, ability to avoid turnovers and emerging leadership as his standout caliber.Sayin appeared in four games during the 2024 season, including the playoff opener against Tennessee on Dec. 21. In that 42–17 win, he completed 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown across 27 snaps.After being named the OSU starter for 2025, the Buckeyes QB1 received high praise from his No. 1 wide receiver Jeremiah Smith."That arm is different," Smith said (via The Athletic). "He can make any and every throw. Just a smart quarterback. He's definitely going to be a guy. It's going to be scary for opponents."Sayin was a former five-star quarterback and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2024 class (per ESPN). He initially committed to Alabama but transferred to Ohio State in January 2024 following Nick Saban's retirement.Steve Sarkisian praises Julian Sayin before Ohio State-Texas showdown Julian Sayin will make his first start for Ohio State in 2025 against Texas on Aug. 30. Steve Sarkisian is familiar with Sayin as the OSU starter was high on Texas until Arch Manning committed to the Longhorns in 2022.As Sarkisian is now going to face Sayin two weeks later, he has nothing but praise for the quarterback.“Very good player, elite passer, very good arm talent, very quick release, really accurate guy," Sarkisian said (via Indiana Gazette). "Obviously, he’s got great weapons around him, so he’s the type of guy that can utilize those weapons in a good system. So, it poses a heck of a challenge.”The game will be a major test for Sayin, as Texas holds the No. 1 spot in the preseason AP Top 25, while the defending champion Buckeyes sit at No. 3.