Aidan Sayin, the older brother of Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin, didn't get to play with his family together much in an official capacity. The two played one season during his high school football career at Carlsbad High School in the San Diego Section's Open Division of the California Interscholastic Federation.
Aidan was a senior when Julian was a freshman. It was during the 2020 season, which ended up being played in the spring of 2021. California took the most measures to curb public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the two only got five games together.
As Aidan told Eleven Warriors this past week, that was one of his favorite periods of playing with Julian. Aidan gave his brother the chance to get more tape as he was putting the Lancers up by 40 points at halftime in San Diego High School Football's most competitive division.
“That was when we had some of our most fun,” Aidan said. “We had just been training, waiting for a season, waiting for a season in California that felt like it would never come. We finally got a five-game season this spring, where we were able to play together; I played the first half of most games, and then he would come in in the second half when we were up by 40 points, and got to get some film together, and that really helped his recruiting process as well. So it was a lot of fun just watching him really elevate from middle school and show all these colleges that he can do it on the varsity stage in high school.”
Aidan Sayin is playing in Columbus in 2026, just like brother Julian Sayin
In a few weeks, Aidan will be playing for the UFL's Columbus Aviators on the league's first Ohio-based franchise. Like his brother Julian, who will be playing in Cbus this fall, perhaps for one last go-round before an NFL career. Perhaps the brothers will go back to winning games in front of the same crowds.
*Hint, hint, Buckeye fans. You should be filling Historic Crew Stadium this spring.
Despite the USFL hosting the 2022 and 2023 championship games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, the league didn't have a team in the Buckeye State. The XFL didn't have a team either.
Mike Repole, the UFL's new owner, got that one right. If little else. Not that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did much with the league, either. If there's even more for anyone to do with a product that just isn't putting fans in the seats.
That's a shame. The USFL/XFL/UFL is restoring players' pro football careers by establishing a redemption pipeline to the NFL. Be the change you want to see in the world, Buckeyes. Go pay it back for Aidan for giving Julian the chance to be recognized early by the Ohio State University on the recruiting trail.