Presumed Ohio State starting quarterback Julian Sayin recently joined On3’s ‘Off Script’ with host Zak Herbstreit to reflect on his first year and a half in Columbus. Sayin spoke about taking on more of a behind-the-scenes role last season, using the opportunity to learn from College Football Playoff national championship-winning quarterback Will Howard.
“I think I learned a lot last year,” said Sayin. “Learning from Will, just learned, you know, how to be a leader. He was a great leader for the offense and for the team, and, you know, I think that was definitely something I tried to learn from him. And, definitely learned a lot also from Will. You know, just learning about the preparation aspect and, you know, how much preparation goes into each week.”
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Coming out of high school, Sayin was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 2 quarterback in the nation. He originally committed to Alabama, but after the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban, Sayin made the decision to transfer to Ohio State. In the interview, he also opened up about his thought process behind leaving Tuscaloosa and choosing to continue his journey in Columbus.
“When I ended up going to Alabama, I wanted to go play for Coach Saban,” Sayin said. “And when he retired, I decided to transfer and Ohio State was just a big decision for me and I was excited to make it just because of the quarterback development history they’ve had with Coach Day.”
“The guys like Justin Fields, CJ Stroud come before and they’ve done a great job with quarterbacks and then just the talent they have at the offensive skill positions,” continued Sayin. “It was definitely a great decision for me and I couldn’t be happier.”
Sayin is still locked in a quarterback competition with Lincoln Kienholz for the starting job as the Buckeyes prepare to open their season against the Texas Longhorns on August 30. However, the redshirt sophomore carries himself with a calm confidence, shaped by last year’s championship run, where he learned behind veteran Will Howard, and by the Buckeyes’ storied tradition of quarterback development.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State QB Julian Sayin on Alabama transfer, competing, and more
