Ryan Day says the door is open for Julian Sayin to rise in Ohio State quarterback competition

Will Howard has been everything the Buckeyes had hoped for when they added him from the transfer portal, but the Ohio State program still has to keep an eye on long-term plans. Days after the Buckeyes opted to play Devin Brown as the lone backup against Marshall, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was asked about his quarterback room.

We pondered whether the Buckeyes were making a mistake with their current backup quarterback strategy, and Day acknowledged changes could be coming. Will Brown continue being the backup?

Ryan Day on Ohio State Backup QB Rotation

Brown, a third-year sophomore, has completed only 57 percent of his 42 career passing attempts. His struggles continued in Week 3, as only two of his six attempts were caught, and the offense stalled. Frankly, the offense looks bad when he's in, and it's questionable as to whether he's a Power 5-caliber quarterback.

Of course, Day would never go so far as to say this publicly. But fans have eyes, and the film doesn't lie that Brown doesn't see the field effectively. He's not had the on-field reps to get much better, either, so the lack of playing time has been a factor.

Day commented that Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, and Air Noland can rise up the depth chart. “Guys are competing every day in practice. He [Brown] would be our No. 2 right now."

However, this is far from an ironclad statement, and that's a positive sign for the Buckeyes. The team's best friend is competition, and Sayin has only played in one game. He can play in three more regular season games to keep his redshirt, plus as many College Football Playoffs as needed.

While Day included Kienholz and Noland, it's hard to fathom he meant it. Those two are clearly not in the team's future plans, barring a Sayin transfer. Super prospect Tavien St. Clair is coming to Columbus next winter, so it's a more natural transition to simply go from Howard to Sayin before St. Clair takes over in 2027.

Sayin, a 5-star who joined the program after Nick Saban and Bill O'Brien left Alabama, is a mobile and bouncy passer in the mold of Bryce Young. He's bigger, standing 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, and has more arm strength.

We hope to see Sayin first off the bench if the Buckeyes can play him. While it makes sense for Day to keep his redshirt available, he should be able to plan out his opportunities without burning a year of eligibility.

Of course, if St. Clair is what he's supposed to be, then Sayin's redshirt won't matter as much, as Sayin would likely need to be gone so the top-ranked quarterback of 2025 can see the field sooner.