Who will be Will Howard’s successor as Ohio State’s quarterback?
That’s the biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes as they wrap up spring practice with Saturday’s spring game at Ohio Stadium. The answer probably won’t be answered for months, no matter how Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz or Tavien St. Clair perform Saturday.
Coach Ryan Day has held off naming a starter until well into training camp in all of the quarterback competitions he has had since taking over in 2019. It was clear, for example, that Howard would be the starter last year long before Day officially named him the starter on Aug. 16.
This year, Day says, it is a real battle, especially between Sayin and Kienholz. None of the three has started a college game. Here’s a look at what to look for from each quarterback:
Julian Sayin
Sayin was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He enrolled early at Alabama and transferred to Ohio State following Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban’s retirement.
At 6 feet 1 and 203 pounds, Sayin isn’t the biggest quarterback, but the Californian is blessed with a strong, accurate arm and a quick release. Former Buckeyes gushed about him at the NFL combine.
Sayin is on the quiet side, and coaches want the quarterback to display some of Howard’s fire. Sayin is still probably the front-runner. A year ago, he was the third-stringer behind Howard and Devin Brown while Kienholz was fourth on the depth chart.
A strong spring game ...
