CBS Sports ranks Julian Sayin No. 2 nationally, slotting him above Arch Manning. Can the Buckeyes QB elevate his game for a championship run?
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin had a successful 2026 campaign in his first year as a full-time starter.
Sayin, a sophomore from Carlsbad, California, threw for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Ohio State made it to the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal in 2025.
However, Sayin was more of a game manager for the Buckeyes last season. He did enough to help Ohio State compete for a championship, but he didn't put the team on his shoulders in the Big Ten title game or in the CFP.
For Ohio State to win the national championship, Sayin will have to make riskier throws and push the ball downfield against tougher defenses in the Big Ten and in the CFP.
CBS Sports' Brad Crawford is buying Sayin's stock for the upcoming season. In his quarterback rankings for 2026, he listed the Buckeyes quarterback as the No. 2 best signal-caller in the nation.
Sayin is behind Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, but he's one spot above one of the most-hyped players in the nation, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, which is kind of a surprise with how Manning finished the 2025 campaign.
"Sayin posted one of the most efficient seasons in college football history as a redshirt freshman with a 77.0% completion rate and 32 touchdowns en route to Heisman finalist honors," Crawford wrote.
"One of the national leaders with a 88.4 QBR last season, Sayin was rarely pressured prior to the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP quarterfinal, when he was sacked 10 total times by Indiana and Miami.
"The Buckeyes' offense will look a little different in 2026 with new OC Arthur Smith calling the plays and Carnell Tate off to the NFL, but Jeremiah Smith is probably all Sayin needs."
Smith is a big target for Sayin and should make the quarterback's life easier against a tough schedule that includes Texas, Indiana, and Michigan.
The running game should help open up passing lanes, with Bo Jackson set to return for the upcoming season.
Ultimately, OSU's chances of winning the national championship will ride on how much Sayin has developed this spring and summer.