Defending national champion No. 2 Ohio State will start second-year player Julian Sayin at quarterback ahead of its season opener against No. 1 Texas at Ohio Stadium on August 30, head coach Ryan Day announced on Monday (August 18) via ESPN.

Day described the competition between Sayin and junior Lincoln Kienholz as close, but noted that the redshirt freshman "separated himself, really, over the last week with his consistent play." The head coach said he informed both Sayin and Kienholz of his decision on Monday.

"Our guys are confident again with both quarterbacks; we'll need both quarterbacks," Day said via ESPN. "Lincoln did a lot of great things, but we're going to name Julian the starter here, give him the majority of the reps with the [starters] and go prepare to beat Texas."

Sayin initially rated as a five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 1 quarterback, No. 1 player from the state of California and the No. 6 overall prospect for the 2024 national recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, before signing with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but entered the transfer portal in January 2024 following former Alabama head coach Nick Saban's sudden retirement.

Sayin appeared in four games and played 27 snaps, throwing for 84 yards on 5 of 12 passing and one touchdown during the Buckeyes' eventual national championship season, earning a redshirt. Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, who led the team to a College Football Playoff National Championship win against Notre Dame in January, was selected by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft in April.