Ohio State Names Julian Sayin Starting QB Ahead of Matchup vs. No. 1 Texas

Ohio State's quarterback battle has been settled! Julian Sayin will be under center for the No. 3 Buckeyes when they host No. 1 Texas in Week 1 (Saturday, Aug. 29 at noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), the program announced on Monday. The sophomore beat redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz for the starting job.

Sayin was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, initially committing to Alabama before transferring to Ohio State following Nick Saban's retirement. He was a part of the Buckeyes' quarterback competition last year as well, which fifth-year senior Will Howard won before leading Ohio State to a national championship.

Entering fall camp, most observers and analysts viewed Sayin as the favorite to win the starting job. Still, coach Ryan Day continued to preach that it was an open competition, praising the work that Sayin and Kienholz were putting in.

"It was a close competition," Day told reporters on Monday. "I think with both guys, we feel confident can win a game for us. I think Julian separated himself over the last week with his consistent play. I feel like our guys are confident in both quarterbacks. I think we'll need both quarterbacks. They both do a lot of great things."

Sayin briefly appeared in a handful of games last season. He completed 5 of 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown to go with 24 rushing yards.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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