Ohio State's quarterback, Julian Sayin, enters 2026 as the highest-rated QB with the most to prove.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin enters the 2026 season as the highest-rated quarterback, but he is the one with the most to prove.
The Buckeyes ' signal-caller checks in with a Pro Football Focus rating of 92.9, which is the highest amongst all returning quarterbacks. The stats say one thing, but the film says another.
Sayin did a lot of his great work, and yes, it was great, against the inferior teams on the schedule. Against the three best teams the Buckeyes played, Sayin struggled pretty significantly, and the Buckeyes were unable to overcome his poor play.
There are definitely two versions of Sayin. There is the Wisconsin Sayin where he is absolutely unconscious and unable to throw incompletions.
And then there is the Miami Sayin where he is gun shy, hesitant and very indecisive.
Sayin and the Buckeyes need the aforementioned Sayin in 2026-27. Sayin needs to perform at that level to secure himself in the NFL Draft. Sayin is going to be fighting an uphill battle when it comes to that time next year because he is on the smaller side when it comes to his stature.
That factor goes away if he is deadly accurate and has all the answers to the test.
The Buckeyes as a team need that version of Sayin because they have their eyes set on being a National Champion next year. To get there, they are going to have to run through the gauntlet of their regular season schedule before having a four-game run to the title game.
One area that Sayin will be really tested in the next year is that there is going to be a step back at the receiver position. All of the guys competing for that second spot behind Jeremiah Smith could all turn out to be really great players, but none will be as good as Carnell Tate was.
Sayin is going to be tested against some of the best competition and won't have two immediate first-round picks like he had last year.
The road next year is long, and Sayin needs to be at his best week in and week out. He needs it, the Buckeyes need and if they get it, the 2026-27 season is going to be a very memorable one in Columbus.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
