Julian Sayin stepping up as a vocal leader for the Buckeyes in his second year as starting quarterback

Reilly Cahill
Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:25:25 +0000
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Quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throwing the ball downfield at fall camp on Aug. 7. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Sports Photo Editor.

The last time Julian Sayin played in a regular season game, he was seen briefly silencing the Michigan Stadium crowd after throwing a touchdown pass, en route to ending a four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.

Now, as Sayin enters his second year as Ohio State’s starting quarterback with the Buckeyes’ first game days away, his voice and leadership has become more noticeable around the team.?

Sayin was recently named one of seven team captains, becoming the first quarterback to earn that honor since C.J. Stroud in 2022.

“He’s really taken a huge step in his leadership and to get voted captain the way he did, and looking at the number of votes he got, I mean these guys believe in him,” head coach Ryan Day said. “He’s established himself as a leader.”

Last season, Sayin set the third-highest completion percentage in FBS history, completing 77% of his passes. As a Heisman Trophy finalist, Sayin led the nation in completion percentage, threw the fourth-most touchdown passes and the 10th-most passing yards in the country.

While Sayin made his impact on the field, his vocal leadership, specifically at the start of the season, was not as noticeable.

“I think he was hesitant at times to speak up,” wide receiver Brandon Inniss said. “I think as the year went on, he got more comfortable.”

This season, Inniss and many other teammates have noticed a different side of Sayin’s leadership.

“This year is way different, you can see [with] how he talks, how he walks, how he carries himself inside the facility,” Inniss said.

Sayin’s top target last season, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, echoed the statement.??

“He’s doing a great job using his voice more, taking command of the offense,” Smith said. “[Sayin’s] taken that step.”

While Inniss said the Buckeyes have other leaders on the team, he described the impact of having the team’s signal caller as a vocal leader.??

“When the quarterback says things and when the quarterback can take command, it’s different,” Inniss said. “[Sayin] has done that a lot of times in camp, you’ve seen that and that’s why he’s a captain.”

Sayin’s growth in his leadership has been evident to offensive lineman Carson Hinzman, who described how Sayin’s command in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage impacts the players around him.

“It’s confidence building for everyone on the field,” Hinzman said. “You don’t want a leader who is shaky.”

On offense, the Buckeyes return a handful of offensive linemen, wide receivers Smith and Inniss and running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West. While Sayin said it was easier for him to become more of a leader this offseason because of his familiarity with the players around him, he still looked for areas to improve.?

“Having an offensive group that we know each other very well, it is a little bit easier,” Sayin said. “But you still have to get out of your comfort zone and [determine] what can I do more to improve as a leader.”

This year marks the seventh time in the Buckeyes’ program history that they have seven or more team captains.?

“It means so much to me to be a captain,” Sayin said. “The history and the tradition of this program, I really just can’t put it into words that my teammates selected me and six others because it’s truly a great honor.”