Julian Sayin enters his second season as Ohio State’s starter with plenty to prove, and the NFL already seems divided on what kind of pro he can become.
That split showed up in ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who spoke with scouts about Sayin’s outlook after a redshirt freshman season that put him on the Heisman Trophy finalist stage. The production was strong enough to get him noticed, but the finish left a different impression. Sayin closed the year with his two worst games in the final two outings, and that late dip is clearly part of the conversation now.
One NFC scout came away unimpressed with how much Sayin got out of what was around him.
"'I liked his tape, but the traits are just so limited in a near-perfect setup of surroundings, and you saw that in the playoff," one NFC scout said," Reid noted in his article.
An AFC scout saw it differently, arguing that Sayin’s first year as a starter should matter more in the evaluation.
"But another AFC scout said, "He's super accurate and operates at a really high level. I think people are underrating him and forgetting that he was in his first year as a starter," Reid wrote.
That’s the tension around Sayin right now: one side sees a quarterback who didn’t fully maximize a loaded situation, while the other sees a young passer with room to grow into something bigger. If he puts together a strong 2026 season, he could declare for the NFL Draft and chase his goal of becoming a first-round pick in 2027.
Ohio State, for its part, is betting on the upside. Ryan Day has plenty of confidence in Sayin to guide the Buckeyes this season, and the expectation is that if he keeps progressing, he should be in the Heisman Finalist mix again. The defense is also expected to be strong enough to support a serious College Football Playoff run.
What happens next may come down to two things: how well the offensive line protects him and how much Sayin can add as a runner. He spent the offseason working on his scrambling, which matters because he was too reluctant last year to take the yards that were there.
That part of his game is getting extra attention from scouts, too. In the NFL, quarterbacks who can’t move at all are becoming harder to justify, and Sayin knows he needs to show more there. He’s focused on the future and on proving he can do more than operate in ideal conditions.
The challenge ahead is obvious. Sayin has a real chance to change the conversation if he can navigate one of the toughest schedules in the country.
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