If the Ohio State football team is going to run it back this year and have a shot at back-to-back College Football national championships, it’ll need to find an answer at quarterback for departing program favorite Will Howard.
The guy that would seem to be in line for that job is former 5-star recruit, Julian Sayin, who originally committed to Alabama, then transferred to be a Buckeye when Nick Saban retired. Sayin is currently in the midst of a tight battle with returning quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (if you believe what head coach Ryan Day says), but many inside and outside the program believe he’ll be the starter to run out of the tunnel on Aug. 30 when Ohio State plays host to Texas.
One of those guys is apparently star receiver Jeremiah Smith. While sitting down for an interview with “The Athletic,” (subscription may be required) Smith had some pretty significant praise for Sayin and what he thinks he can be for this OSU team.
“That arm is different,” Smith said. “He can make any and every throw. Just a smart quarterback. Like me, he’s a little quiet. But he’s starting to come out of (his) shell. He’s definitely going to be a guy. It’s going to be scary for opponents.”
What better player to praise the talent of a quarterback ready to come into his own than the guy who’ll be catching passes from him? Clearly, Smith has seen plenty of footballs come his way from other quarterbacks, and he likes what he sees from the California native.
And he’s not the only one who has unofficially anointed Sayin as “a guy.” Outgoing cornerback Denzel Burke, other media members, other players, and even the coaching staff have had very complimentary things to say about the ceiling and arm talent of Sayin. Now, all we have to wait for is for the man in charge of making the call officially — you know — to make the call.
Just Sayin.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith dishes on quarterback Julian Sayin
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

