Heading into his second year as the starter with Ohio State, Julian Sayin should be much better this year. He was a Finalist for the Heisman Trophy last season as a redshirt freshman. However, the end of his season didn't go as planned. Sayin played his worst two games of the year in the last two games.
If he has a good year in 2026, he could declare for the NFL Draft. He hopes to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, NFL scouts seem split on what his ceiling is as a pro. In an article from ESPN's Jordan Reid, he talked with scouts about how Sayin might fare next season.
NFL scouts split on Ohio State QB Julian Sayin's NFL readiness
One scout thinks he didn't do enough with the talent he had last year.
"'I liked his tape, but the traits are just so limited in a near-perfect setup of surroundings, and you saw that in the playoff," one NFC scout said," Reid noted in his article.
While that NFC scout doesn't have much faith in what Sayin showed on film late in the year, an AFC scout thinks he has a lot of talent to still tap into.
"But another AFC scout said, "He's super accurate and operates at a really high level. I think people are underrating him and forgetting that he was in his first year as a starter," Reid wrote.
Sayin has a chance to show scouts that he can truly lead an NFL franchise this season. His weapons won't be as scary with the departure of Carnell Tate, but he still will have Jeremiah Smith. Doing more with less could help scouts believe more in what he has to offer, which could make him a first-round pick.
Ohio State has faith in Julian Sayin to lead the team to a national championship
Ryan Day has a lot of faith in Sayin as the starting quarterback this season. If he is able to progress as he should, there's no reason he shouldn't be at least a Heisman Finalist again. Defensively, the Buckeyes should be good enough to make a deep run in the CFP.
It will come down to how much time the offensive line can give Sayin to throw the ball, as well as Sayin's ability to scramble. He has been working on that all offseason long. That is really the last thing that Sayin needs to add to his game. He was unwilling to take the yards available to him last year, and he's working on changing that.
Scouts are watching that part of his game, too. Statues in the pocket are rare in the NFL now, as most quarterbacks can move a little bit. That's part of the reason why Sayin has been working so hard on this skill, too. He has his eyes on the future, and he knows what he wants.
Sayin has a great chance to prove everyone wrong if he runs through one of the toughest schedules in the country.
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