COLUMBUS, Ohio — Julian Sayin is back, bigger and stronger for a second season as the starting quarterback at Ohio State.

Will he be better?

That is among the biggest questions facing the Buckeyes, who finished No. 5 in the Associated Press poll last season after spending most of the year at No. 1.

From a statistical standpoint, improving will not be easy.

Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 2025, when he won the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year award and was a Heisman Trophy finalist.

He set single-season Ohio State program record with a completion percentage of 77.0, good for third all time in the NCAA behind Bo Nix and Mac Jones, but he was possibly a quarter, a drive or even a throw away from winning the Heisman.

With the Buckeyes trailing Indiana 13-10 in the third quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game in December, Sayin got them to the Indiana 5, but they turned it over on downs when his knee went down short of the line to gain on a 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak.

On the following drive, Sayin then got them back to the Indiana 9, but his third down pass to Bennett Christian was broken up in the end zone, and Jayden Fielding missed a short field goal that would have tied the game with 2:48 left.

That meant the Big Ten championship and Heisman Trophies went to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza instead, and the IU signal-caller went on to lead the Hoosiers to the national title before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.

At the other end of the spectrum, Sayin and the Buckeyes endured a long offseason after an upset loss to Miami (Fla.) in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, but head coach Ryan Day said he liked what he saw in his quarterback at the end of the offseason program last month.

“You’ve experienced ups and downs, you’re not going to ride the emotional roller coaster that maybe you would as a young player,” Day said during Big Ten Media Days in Chicago July 29. “When you look in his eye now, you see a different person, you see a different body. He’s worked hard. He’s gotten stronger. He’s found his voice even more, and he’s got a great look in his eye. I think he’s poised for a great season.”

The different body is thanks to another offseason with Ohio State director of football sport performance Mickey Marotti, who also counts cultivating quarterback leadership among his developmental duties.

“Julian’s taking strides in that area for sure, and how do you know? Because his teammates talk about him that way,” Day said.

The 6-1, 214-pound Sayin never will be a physically imposing figure like Josh Allen — or even Joe Burrow — but more strength and bulk should help him navigate another season at the top level of college football more smoothly.

“Coach ‘Mick’ pushed me pretty hard, and I think the extra weight has helped me in throwing the ball and running the ball,” Sayin said.

He was already displaying more zip on his passes during red zone drills Saturday.

“I think stronger base and a little bit stronger legs is able to help increase that pace,” Sayin said. “Coach Day always says there’s nobody open in the red zone. Everything’s going to be tight, so you have to throw with a ton of pace and we’ve gotta make great catches.”

Sayin’s words figure to carry more weight in his second season as a starter, be it barking out plays or directing choice words at guys on the other side of the ball during another hot practice day in Columbus.

“I think if you’re the quarterback and you’re out there trash talking the defense, the O-line loves it and they feed into it. It’s a lot of fun,” Sayin said.

Ohio State is back on the field as fall camp kicked off on Thursday, and it’s time to start looking at players who could have a big camp and separate themselves from people in their position groups.

Wide Receiver Devin McCuin

Ohio State brought wide receiver McCuin in from the transfer portal this offseason after spending three seasons at UTSA. Last season, McCuin appeared in 12 games for the Roadrunners, recording 726 receiving yards and eight scores.

The Buckeyes already know who their No. 1 wide receivers will be: Jeremiah Smith and slot receiver Brandon Innis. But McCuin might get a chance to be the second outside starting receiver opposite Smith.

Running Back Isaiah West

West was part of a dynamic running back duo last season alongside Bo Jackson. Jackson took over as the No. 1 running back by the third game of the season, while West worked his way into becoming the No. 2 option in the middle of the season.

Jackson was expected to be the No. 1 running back heading into fall camp, but that was not the case on Thursday, as West was getting the first-team reps and head coach Ryan Day praised his offseason work effort.

“You can see his body,” Day said after practice on Thursday. “You can see the work he’s put in. He had a tremendous offseason, one of the best in the whole building. Consistency, and when he was in there last year, he showed some real good things. So we want him to take the next step, just as we do Bo.”

Cornerback Dominick Kelly

Ohio State brought in cornerback Kelly from Georgia this winter, and, just like West, he was starting with the first team on Day 1 of camp.

It’s much more shocking that Kelly was starting at one of the outside corner spots than West starting at running back, since the two cornerback spots were already expected to be taken.

Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr. were supposed to be the two starting outside corners this season, but Mathews took a back seat to Kelly on Thursday.

Kelly was only a true freshman last season and hardly played for Georgia, so he must have impressed during spring practice for Coach Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to give him first-team reps on the first day of camp over Mathews, who could have entered the NFL Draft this past winter.

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