The Ohio State Buckeyes have often prided themselves as “Wide Receiver University.” 

OSU wide receiver coach Brian Hartline has managed to develop his players into perennial first round draft picks and prepare them for the trials and tribulations that being an NFL player entails.

Just look at the list and come to the conclusion yourself: Marvin Harrison Jr., Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka, the list goes on.

But what may go under the radar is the university’s ability to not only develop top-tiered quarterbacks, but recruit them as well.

Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin made his debut as a starter during Week 1, and he hardly disappointed. 

Sayin was originally committed to Alabama, and even enrolled there before stepping onto the field. But after Nick Saban retired, he entered the transfer portal, found himself in Columbus, and saw a National Championship firsthand.

It was a tall task for Sayin, to go toe-to-toe with the top-ranked program in the country in Texas, as well as dealing with the hype behind Arch Manning.

But Sayin wasn’t asked to do much. He let the defense do the talking, while all he was asked to do is score more than the other guys.

And until 3:28 left in the fourth quarter, the other guys scored nothing.

Ultimately, the Buckeyes came out on top and even though they’re the defending National Champions, upset the Longhorns by the score of 14-7.

It was a simple, yet effective game from the sophomore, where he completed 65% of his passes and a passing touchdown to Carnell Tate.

With the win, Sayin became the first quarterback in over 40 years to beat a number-one ranked team in his first career start.

Along the way in the past decade, the Buckeyes have been hit or miss in the quarterback department. But when you focus on becoming a wide-receiver-heavy school, sometimes quarterback development can take a backseat. 

Throughout their time, QBs such as Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett, and Dwayne Haskins, carried the Buckeyes to successful seasons, but in the NFL, they struggled to build any consistency. 

As of late though, OSU has done a solid job at developing consistent NFL producers.

C.J. Stroud captured the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, as well as earning a Pro Bowl selection.

Justin Fields, who assisted the Buckeyes in making the 2020 National Championship may not be the standard bearer of consistency, but his skillset has been intriguing to many teams in the NFL.

Obviously for Sayin, one game is just one game, but that one game was a massive test against a program that many deemed the favorites for the National Championship. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase what he was all about, and how the sophomore is ready to go to war in battle-tested games.

Sayin wasn’t a five-star recruit for no reason. He has the natural gift for being a quarterback at a high level. Week 1 just may have been the start of something special brewing in Columbus, but now it’s up to Sayin to do the work.