Ari Wasserman reveals biggest question about Julian Sayin at Ohio State

Through his first season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Julian Sayin shined. He led FBS in completion percentage while helping the Buckeyes reach the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff.

But On3’s Ari Wasserman still has an important question about Sayin heading into 2026. He wants to see the rising redshirt sophomore be the player who leads Ohio State to key victories.

Sayin, of course, had dynamic playmakers this past season with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate at wide receiver, not to mention Bo Jackson in the backfield. Through the highlights, though, Wasserman said he wants to see a bit more out of Sayin – more specifically, for him to be the focal point of the clips.

“Julian Sayin’s insanely accurate,” Wasserman said on Andy & Ari On3. “He throws a beautiful ball and is certainly good enough to win a national championship at Ohio State. The one thing I would neg him on – and maybe I’m being overly nit-picky here … all the spectacular plays that Ohio State made this year, I felt like, were more because the receiver was awesome than it was because of who was delivering it.

“I don’t know if I felt like Julian Sayin was the quarterback that was putting Ohio State on his back and moving and willing that team down the field. I thought that the people that were around him were more of the driving force or the inertia that Ohio State possessed, than it was him. I don’t know if I view him as the guy that’s going to win you a game yet.”

Through his 14 games at Ohio State, Sayin completed 77% of his passes for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns, to eight interceptions. It marked his first full season of action after playing in just four games as a true freshman in 2024, preserving a redshirt in the process. He also secured a trip to New York City as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this past season, finishing fourth in the voting.

In 2026, Sayin will have a new voice in his ear. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is now in as offensive coordinator after Brian Hartline left to become the head coach at USF. That means the Ohio State offense could take on a new look as Sayin gets to learn from Smith, who spent 2025 as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.