Insider Reveals Unsettling Update on Ohio State Buckeyes' QB Battle

While most expected Julian Sayin to follow in Will Howard's footsteps as the Ohio State Buckeyes' starting quarterback heading into 2025, the quarterback competition is far from decided.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said that Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz were neck and neck earlier in the offseason, and it's hard to imagine much has changed with camp looming.

It might bring to mind last year's "battle" between Howard and Devin Brown, when Day took forever to announce the starter even though everyone knew that the former would win the job after transferring from Kansas State. However, Cameron Teague Robinson of The Athletic does not think that is the proper comparison for the ongoing competition.

Instead, Robinson thinks this quarterback room is much more like 2023.

"The way I’ve been describing the quarterback battle is it’s more like Devin Brown vs. Kyle McCord in 2023 than Will Howard vs. Brown last offseason," Robinson wrote. "Last year, there was a “QB competition,” but I don’t think Howard was ever going to be the backup after transferring from Kansas State. The year before, though, Brown and McCord went back and forth all the way into the season."

A rather pedestrian showing in spring practice back in March may have resulted in Sayin losing his grip on the starting job.

"This year’s battle between Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz seems more like the latter because the spring was truly a back-and-forth affair," Robinson wrote. "It says a lot that when the receivers go to California to work out together, they are with both Sayin and Kienholz."

Essentially, the wide receivers don't even have a firm handle on who will be under center against Texas come Aug. 30, which is very telling of how tight the race currently is.

Chances are, Sayin will end up winning the job, but it won't be easy for the former five-star recruit.

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