Jeremiah Smith praises Ohio State QB Julian Sayin: 'That arm is different'

As Will Howard moves on to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ohio State will be riding with a new quarterback in 2025. All signs point towards wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate catching passes from Julian Sayin this coming season.

Smith specifically had an incredible rapport with Howard, catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns during the Buckeyes’ national championship run. However, he’s elated for Sayin to get his opportunity, as he heaped praise on the Ohio State quarterback during an interview with Manny Navarro of The Athletic.

“That arm is different,” Smith said, via The Athletic. “He can make any and every throw. Just a smart quarterback. Like me, he’s a little quiet. But he’s starting to come out of (his) shell. He’s definitely going to be a guy. It’s going to be scary for opponents.”

That’s tremendous news for Buckeyes fans dealing with a bit of trepidation regarding their new quarterback. Howard wasn’t perfect throughout the regular season, but he really turned it on throughout the team’s College Football Playoff run. Perhaps Sayin can pick up where the veteran left off.

Sayin, one of the top prospects out of the 2024 cycle, was originally signing by Nick Saban at Alabama. The Five Star Plus+ quarterback was one of the key pieces of the Crimson Tide’s recruiting class, but he entered the transfer portal when the coach retired, choosing to take his talents to Columbus instead.

At the moment, he’s vying for the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback job with junior Lincoln Kienholz, but many expect him to be given the nod. Sayin appeared in four games as a true freshman for Ohio State in 2024.

As a Five Star Plus+ prospect, Sayin was one of the only players ranked by all four major recruiting media companies as a five-star. He was the No. 8 overall player and No. 2-ranked quarterback from the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Because Sayin signed with Alabama, he had to enter the transfer portal as a Short Term Signee. He then became the No. 3 overall player to hit the open market during the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

It’s easy to see why Jeremiah Smith is excited for Julian Sayin, and Ohio State fans should be too. Time will tell if he can reach the same level of success of Will Howard in Year 1 as the Buckeyes’ starter, but the traits are certainly there.

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.