Julian Sayin explains decision to leave Alabama, transfer to Ohio State after Nick Saban retirement

Julian Sayin kept it pretty simple when it came to his decision to transfer from Alabama to Ohio State last year. He wanted to play for Nick Saban, but when the legendary coach retired, Sayin weighed his options.

Of course, he ended up at Ohio State and is in prime position to take over as the starting quarterback in 2025. An early enrollee at Alabama in 2023, Sayin began practicing with the team in preparation for the College Football Playoff (Rose Bowl) that season.

But once Saban retired following the loss, Sayin entered the portal and a few days later was at Ohio State, learning from Ryan Day and others. Now, he’s at the top of the pecking order.

“When I ended up going to Alabama, I wanted to go play for Coach Saban,” Sayin said on Off Script with Zak Herbstreit. “And, you know when, he retired, I decided to transfer. Ohio State was just a big decision for me, and I was excited to make it, just because of the quarterback development history they’ve had with Coach Day, and, you know, the guys like Justin Fields, CJ Stroud come before, you know, they’ve done a great job with quarterbacks. And then just the talent they have at the offensive skill positions. It was definitely a great decision for me, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Sayin appeared in four games last season, completing five-of-12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in relief. Safe to say, as long as he wins the QB1 job, Sayin will be airing it out a lot more.

As a member of the Class of 2024, Sayin was a five-star recruit out of Carlsbad (Calif.) High, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 2 quarterback in the class and the No. 8 overall prospect in the class.

Day addressed where the quarterback competition stands between Sayin and fellow QB Lincoln Kienholz entering fall camp. Day explained exactly what he’s looking for in a starting quarterback this fall.

“You want command of that offense. When you stand in there as a quarterback, you want everybody in that hall to believe in you,” Day told reporters on Thursday. “You want them to follow your command. That’s a three-part, and then taking care of the football, making routine plays, routinely getting us into the right play. That’s one of the things last year that I feel like Will (Howard) probably doesn’t get enough credit for, was all the little things (he did) that kept the offense moving, sometimes throwing the ball away. That keep us on schedule.”