Ohio State has added their third former Alabama player in the span of about two weeks as incoming Crimson Tide freshman quarterback Julian Sayin is transferring to OSU.
On January 6, Alabama starting center Seth McLaughlin announced his move, then starting safety and leading tackler Caleb Downs did the same on January 19, and now Sayin has made it a Tide Trifecta.
Sayin (6-1 195) is the composite No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 signing class. He attended Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, California and committed to Alabama back in November of 2022. He signed this past December and enrolled early.
The retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban has been a major factor as to why upwards of 30 Crimson Tide players have entered the transfer portal. Because Sayin had already enrolled, he too had to enter the transfer portal in order to find a new home.
Sayin will still have five years to play four years at Ohio State.
The MVP at the 2023 Elite 11 Finals, Sayin threw for 2,347 yards with 24 touchdowns and just one interception as a senior at Carlsbad. As a junior, he threw for 2,708 yards and 27 touchdowns. His most prolific season, however, came as a sophomore when he threw for 2,769 yards with 34 touchdowns and five interceptions.
He finished his high school career with 85 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.
Ohio State offered Sayin almost exactly a year ago. The offer came one month after quarterback Dylan Raiola decommitted from the Buckeyes, forcing them to find a replacement. Sayin stuck to his Alabama commitment and Ohio State eventually signed five-star quarterback Air Noland out of Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia.
Noland has already enrolled at Ohio State. He will be joined shortly by Sayin.
The Buckeyes will open up spring football with five scholarship quarterbacks, which is a rarity for head coach Ryan Day.
Kansas State fifth-year senior transfer Will Howard is the favorite to win the starting job, but he will be battling with Devin Brown, who very nearly won the job over Kyle McCord as a redshirt freshman in 2023. True freshman Lincoln Kienholz played the final three quarters of Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss against Missouri, giving him more significant action than any true freshman quarterback at OSU since Braxton Miller in 2011.
The 2024 season is shaping up to be a special one for Ohio State, and with the transfer of Julian Sayin, the future continues to look bright as well.
Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr give their instant reactions to Julian Sayin’s commitment and what this means for the Buckeyes and the OSU quarterback room.
Marc Givler and Kevin Noon discuss what Julian Sayin brings to the field and what Buckeye fans can expect to see from the nation’s top quarterback signee.
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