This spring, “QB1” is the hottest ticket in college football. With players like Jalen Milroe and Shedeur Sanders eyeing the NFL, it’s a wide-open competition everywhere. In Columbus, all eyes are on five-star phenom Julian Sayin – a player with both a rocket arm and undeniable charisma. Ryan Day has three quarterbacks vying for the starting job: veteran Lincoln Kienholz, the prodigious Sayin, and freshman Tavien St. Clair, who’s still developing. Look. Head coach Ryan Day‘s already declared St. Clair third, leaving a showdown between Sayin and Kienholz. Despite the hype, Sayin’s spring game performance was underwhelming. So, for now, who exactly is topping Day’s QB1 chart?

Look, everyone knows that Julian Sayin came to Ohio State with a big buzz, transferring from Alabama. Last season, he threw his first TD against Western Michigan and also came into relief a couple more times. Since then, he’s been waiting patiently for his change, but now that the time has finally arrived, it looks like some cracks are showing after all. Ohio State fans got their first look at all 3 of the Bucks scholarship QBs, and Kienholz got the chance to begin the spring game.

Now comes the concerning part: it’s Sayin’s height. And Ryan Day’s team isn’t accustomed to starting QBs under 6’3. Even Will Howard is 6’4, and so was Dwayne Haskins, and Sayin is 6’1. Even after the final spring practice, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr of the Buckeyes Tomorrow Morning podcast still have concerns. As Sayin’s game struggled at times. “Julian Sayin at one point had back-to-back plays where he was trying to hand the ball off and the exchange was bad,” one insider shared. Is this really an issue? Well, ESPN’s Greg McElroy doesn’t think so.

He clarified all the doubts looming around Julian Sayin’s QB1 future, saying, “Well, what has happened with Ohio State is actually a positive. I know people don’t like to look at it this way. People like the superstar that’s upcoming to just leave everybody in the dust, and then, all of a sudden, guys get in the portal, and now you don’t have depth. But if you actually look at what’s gone down—Julian Sayin, you listen to what’s gone on in spring—it sounds like it’s been a little bit of a challenge.” 

McElroy further explains, “Maybe it’s been a little bit up and down, which, by the way, is good. You don’t want it to be just all sunshine and rainbows for your young quarterback. If it’s always good all the time, then how do you know how he’s going to respond to adversity? You don’t.” And that’s exactly what Julian Sayin did this Saturday as he finished on a high note, just like people expected him to do. He completed 17 out of 24 passes for 175 passing yards and a touchdown. Even Lincoln Kienholz put up a strong game, completing 12 of 18 passes for 158 yards and a pair of TDs.

Now, Tavien St. Clair did struggle a bit with two interceptions but ended up with a nice touchdown pass in the final play. But for now, it remains a two-man race, and both Julian and Kienholz were in their best form. Even Ryan Day praised them, saying, “Lincoln settled down after the first drive or so. Made some nice throws, but I thought Julian, for the most part, early on was in rhythm and moving the team down the field for a couple touchdowns, which was good.” 

The best part? Greg McElroy is pretty sure that Julian Sayin’s spring game did wonders for him, and there’s a high chance he might end up being the starter. As he sums it all up, saying, “So whoever the quarterback ends up being—do I think it’s going to be Julian Sayin? I do. I think, in time, his talent and his ceiling will allow him to emerge just a little bit. So I anticipate him being the guy.” Now, let’s see if that’s the case or not. But Greg is also urging Ryan Day to do a massive spring portal haul for the team’s key position.

Concerns rising on Ryan Day’s Ohio State future

Ohio State’s 2025 defensive line is rebuilt, not depleted, despite losing four starters; they have returning players like Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson, providing a strong foundation. They’re joined by promising players like Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald.

But despite that, Greg McElroy urged Ryan Day to get more key pieces in their defensive tackle position, saying, “Now, if you want to ask me a question about the defense at Ohio State—yeah, I’ll be honest with you—I do think there are questions there. I do think the defensive line is a position of concern. I do think it’d be advantageous for Ohio State to maybe go to the spring portal and try to get a defensive tackle just for depth purposes. That’d be great.” 

He further explains how all other teams are eyeing one. “The problem is you have to get in line—because everybody wants a defensive tackle. Like, Texas needs a defensive tackle. A bunch of teams need a defensive tackle. So all that being said, I think Ohio State’s offense is in really good shape based on what we saw this past weekend.” Well, let’s see if the spring portal does any wonders for Ryan Day or not, but they are already eyeing their future classes.

Look, Ohio State hit the recruiting trail hard this weekend, extending six scholarship offers during their spring game. They focused primarily on the 2027 class but also offered a 2026 prospect, potentially strengthening their pipeline with Glenville High School. Defensive tackle Jamir “JJ” Perez received an offer, possibly paving the way for him to join Arvell Reese and other Glenville players in Columbus.

The Buckeyes also offered top edge rusher Justin Weeks and highly-touted defensive tackle Cameron Pritchett. Tight end Judah “Heart” Lancaster of IMG Academy also received an offer. Adding to their West Coast recruiting efforts, defensive backs coach Matt Guerrieri offered safeties Gavin Williams and Isala Aisa Wily-Ava scholarships. With five-star quarterback commit Brady Edmunds showcasing his impressive skills at the Elite 11, it was a busy and successful weekend for Ohio State recruiting.

With a quarterback battle and a defensive position yet to be filled, the Bucks’ season is full of suspense. But for the QB spot specifically, the tussle between Sayin and Kienholz is only getting more intense with each passing day of performance!