The Ohio State football officially has a starting quarterback for the 2025 season, with Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day announcing Julian Sayin will have that role for the team going forward.

“No. 3 Ohio State has named redshirt freshman Julian Sayin the starting quarterback, per coach Ryan Day. He’ll make his first career start against No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30. Sayin is a former Top 10 overall recruit who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama,” wrote Pete Thamel of ESPN in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Day's announcement effectively ends the quarterback battle between Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, who has been with Ohio State football longer. Sayin originally decided to take his talents to the Alabama Crimson Tide, but later transferred to the Buckeyes. In 2024, with Will Howard as Ohio State's starter under center, Sayin appeared in only four games and threw for just 84 passing yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.

This time around, Sayin will be heavily involved as the on-field director of Ohio State football's attack that was ninth in the nation in 2024 with an average of 35.7 points per game and 24th in total offense with 420.4 total yards per outing.

A five-star recruit, Sayin now has the chance to further showcase the talents and skills that turned him into a five-star recruit and the improvements he's made since entering college.

There will undeniably be immense pressure to deliver for Sayin for the Buckeyes, considering that he's now the starting quarterback for the program that just topped the rest of the field in last season's College Football Playoff. Day's squad defeated the Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks and Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff before taking down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the National Championship Game.

It will be a big test right away for Sayin in 2025, as he'll be in a duel with No. 1 Texas Longhorns' top gunslinger Arch Manning on Aug. 30 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

Other notable games on the schedule that should bring tough tests for Sayin are dates against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign on Oct. 10, the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison on Oct. 17 and Penn State Nittany Lions at home on Oct. 31.

More NCAA Football News
Andrew Luck attends the Chuckstrong Tailgate Gala in 2024 at the Colts Practice Facility in Indianapolis.
Stanford football GM Andrew Luck reveals his pitch to rebuild programJordan Llanes ·
Stanford head coach Frank Reich answers questions from the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown.
How Andrew Luck recruited Frank Reich for unique coaching gigJake Faigus ·
Adam Schefter talks on a set before the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium.
Adam Schefter takes jab at NCAA over Michigan football sign-stealing punishmentJackson Stone ·
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) points for a first down after a catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
Not everybody hates Big Ten’s 28-team College Football Playoff pitchJordan Llanes ·
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort.
Exec makes ‘immature children’ complaint about Big Ten’s 28-team CFP ideaRussell Steinberg ·
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Joel Klatt predicts Clemson over Ohio State as national champsZachary Weinberger ·