This year will be the second year that Julian Sayin leads the Ohio State football team. Last year, he was a Heisman Finalist in his first year as a starter. He played fantastic football until the final two games of the season, which kept the Buckeyes from having any shot of winning a conference or national championship.
Sayin is coming into the 2026 season with some things to work on. Mainly, he is working on using his legs more to help scramble for more yards when it is available to him. He still has Jeremiah Smith to throw the ball to, so he still has the premier playmaker on the outside in the country.
If things go well, this will be the last season that the Ohio State Buckeyes have Sayin leading the team. After this year, he is draft-eligible, and he could decide to head to the NFL. In fact, if things go well, that's exactly what the Buckeyes are hoping happens with him.
Why Ohio State hopes Julian Sayin enters the draft next year
If Sayin is entering the draft next year, that means that he had a stellar 2026 season. In other words, there is a good chance that he will help lead Ohio State to a deep run in the College Football Playoff. Ideally, that would lead to a national championship victory.
Sayin has all of the tools that he needs to do that for Ohio State if he can improve his scrambling. That is the one thing he is missing. He just needs to pick up six or eight yards at a time when it's available to him to keep the defense honest. That's what he has been working on the most.
If Sayin does leave following the conclusion of the 2026 season, that would leave Tavien St. Clair as the favorite to win the starting job in 2027. His impressive performance in the Spring Game gives him the inside track to take that job if Sayin does depart. He will likely get some snaps this season in blowouts, as well.
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