Predicting Ohio State Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin's Stat Line Against Texas

How well will Ohio State Buckeyes' quarterback Julian Sayin perform in his first start against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday?

Sep 7, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws a pass during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day are less than 24 hours from playing their biggest game of the 2025 college football season against the Texas Longhorns.

Last season, Day and his squad managed to hold off the Longhorns in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinals, 28-14. However, this year's battle includes two new faces at the quarterback position, with redshirt freshman Julian Sayin leading the charge for the Buckeyes. After sitting behind Will Howard in 2024, fans will now get to see the highly-touted quarterback for the first time against the best team in the nation.

Here's everything you need to know about Sayin before he makes his starting debut for the Buckeyes on Saturday.

How Sayin Can Excel

Nov 9, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) looks for an open man during the second half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Barbara Perenic/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

One of the main traits that Sayin possesses is elite accuracy, which is a key reason why the former five-star recruit won the starting quarterback battle. His ability to complete throws at all three levels of the field makes him a perfect quarterback for an Ohio State offense that includes multiple high-end pass catchers in Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate and Max Klare.

Julian Sayin bout to cold this year

Avoids the rush, Steps up, Eyes down Field, Delivers a dot

Unfortunately the young TE drops it pic.twitter.com/n94d1a1zo5

— Terry T (@CFB_Stop) August 19, 2025

Throughout the spring game, Sayin also displayed solid pocket presence and a willingness to let plays develop in the passing game. With newly-promoted offensive coordinator Brian Hartline now officially calling plays, he's done a fantastic job in the past at creating opportunities for his receivers through scheming. Sayin would thrive in an offense that requires patience and timing, making him a great fit in Hartline's offense.

The Buckeyes lost their two best running backs to the NFL Draft in TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. And with James Peoples and former West Virginia standout CJ Donaldson having limited or zero experience within Ohio State's offense, it's clear that Sayin must take on an elevated role at the beginning of the season.

How Texas Could Limit Sayin

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Malik Muhammad (5) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Obviously, there will be some bumps in the road for a player that has yet to make a start at the colligate level. In addition to his little experience, Sayin must take on one of the best defenses from last season.

But the primary concern for Sayin will be how the Longhorns try to handle Smith in the passing game. In the program's last matchup against Texas, defense coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski did an outstanding job of limiting the star receiver to one catch for three yards. This was due to Kwiatkowski bracketing Smith, cutting him off from making big plays.

If the Longhorns present a similar defensive scheme to the pervious contest, Sayin will have to focus his attention to both Tate and Klare. Luckily for the young quarterback, Tate was able to thrive as the main target, finishing with seven catches for 87 yards. However, it's still a problem if your top receiver is drawing the focus of the opposing defense.

Prediction: 260 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception.

I believe that Sayin, despite making his first start against the No. 1 team, will find some success on Saturday. Texas lost two key playmakers within their secondary unit in cornerback Jahdae Barron and safety Andrew Mukuba. With two significant losses in the program's secondary, it creates a potential mismatch that the Buckeyes could exploit through Sayin.