Former Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Ted Ginn Jr. will be coaching OSU quarterback Julian Sayin's older brother, Aidan, a former Penn Quakers QB with over 7,000 passing yards in the Ivy League, on the UFL's Columbus Aviators this spring, per Cleveland.com's Stefan Krajisnik.
Sayin will join an Aviators QB room that includes Jalan McClendon and likely starter Clayton Tune after not playing anywhere during the 2025 season. There's a very slim chance Sayin sees anything but garbage time this spring, if he plays at all.
That's not the point of his signing, though. The Columbus connection is. Those who follow Julian, which is, by default, any Buckeye fan, will have a bit of curiosity about his Ivy League-turned-spring league brother.
Why else would Ginn be the head coach? The Aviators are an unofficial extension of Ohio State and a possible pipeline for Buckeyes in the future. As if OSU needs another perk to attend, a safety net if the NFL doesn't work out is another.
Ted Ginn Jr. could put himself on Ohio State's radar with Aviators
Ginn has the chance to become a known entity as a head coach in Columbus with a successful stint with the Aviators. While the UFL has struggled to put fans in the seats, even in Birmingham, where the Stallions won three straight USFL/UFL titles from 2022 to 2024, they haven't committed to a football-crazed market that has been known to successfully support a pro team like Columbus.
With the opportunity, Ginn could prove that he's an elite offensive mind. This will be his first coaching job since he retired from the NFL in July 2021. A strong offensive performance could have Ryan Day considering him for a role on his support or coaching staff for the 2026 season, with the chance to be promoted from there.
That Ginn's coaching career's rise to the top was expedited proves he has the kind of personality to lead. Maybe he'll be back at his alma mater one day, leading the Buckeyes and further cementing The Ohio State University as WRU.
The first step towards realizing those dreams begins in late March. The Aviators travel to Orlando to take on the Storm on March 29 at 8 PM EST on ESPN.