Ohio State has its quarterback of the present-and maybe the future-in Julian Sayin. The former five-star recruit didn’t just live up to the hype in his freshman campaign, he exceeded it, earning a spot as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
That kind of debut doesn’t just win games-it locks down starting jobs. And with a full season of experience under his belt, Sayin is only going to get better in Year 2.
But behind Sayin, the quarterback room in Columbus is anything but settled. And that’s where things get interesting.
Tavien St. Clair came to Ohio State with plenty of buzz.
A top-tier recruit from the 2025 class, St. Clair was one of the most highly regarded quarterback prospects in the country-and arguably the best to come out of Ohio in years.
The Buckeyes saw him as a long-term investment, and he knew the path wouldn’t be immediate. As a true freshman, the expectation was always that he’d sit, learn, and develop.
That development plan seemed to be right on track when Lincoln Kienholz entered the transfer portal. With Kienholz out of the picture, the assumption was that St. Clair would slide into the No. 2 spot behind Sayin in 2026-setting him up as the heir apparent should Sayin declare for the NFL Draft after next season.
But then came a curveball: Justyn Martin.
Martin, who’s already had stops at UCLA and Maryland, is now in Columbus via the transfer portal. And early indications are that he didn’t come to Ohio State to ride the bench. Martin is expected to compete-and right now, he’s viewed as the frontrunner to land the backup job behind Sayin.
That puts St. Clair in a tough spot.
He’s talented, no doubt about that. But if he can’t beat out Martin for the No. 2 job in 2026, the calculus changes.
With no clear path to playing time, St. Clair could start looking elsewhere for an opportunity to get on the field.
Still, this is far from a done deal. St.
Clair has the tools to compete, and the Buckeyes’ coaching staff knows what they have in him. If he can win the backup job this offseason, he’ll be in prime position to take over the offense in 2027-assuming Sayin heads to the NFL as expected.
This is a pivotal offseason for St. Clair.
He came to Columbus with dreams of leading the Buckeyes, and that opportunity could still be on the table. But it’s going to take a strong spring and summer to hold off a veteran like Martin.
The competition is real, and the stakes are high.
For now, Sayin is the guy. But the battle behind him could shape the future of Ohio State football.