Ohio State Quarterback Julian Sayin Looks the Part?

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was a beacon of consistency through the first 12 games of the 2025 season.

But he played in 14 games.

I know.

What happened?

Sayin didn’t look nearly as comfortable in his last two games against Indiana and Miami. Sayin was sacked five times against Indiana and five times against Miami. In contrast, he was sacked six times in the other 12 games.

Sayin also threw three interceptions in the last two games after throwing five in the other 12.

Of course, the Buckeyes lost those two games.

The late-season drop-off in his play is worth noting.

There’s a lot to like about Sayin

The name Joe Montana came to mind several times as I studied Sayin’s first 12 games.

Wowser.

I grew up watching Montana, the Hall of Fame quarterback who won four Super Bowls for the San Francisco 49ers. However, for the record, I’m not yet ready to formally make this comp—just Sayin.

What did I like best about this Ohio State quarterback prospect?

His consistency through those first 12 games takes the cake. Nobody is perfect, but in those first 12 games, Sayin was closer than anyone I can recall.

He looked that good in the first 12 games.

Tell me more about his strengths…

• Field general who doesn’t run much (2025: 42 rushing attempts)
• Good behind the line of scrimmage mobility
• Tends to show pocket instincts
• Doesn’t take many sacks (16) that result in yardage losses
• Ability to set and reset the pocket
• Impressive footwork
• Tendency to keep his eyes downfield
• Sees the whole field
• Knows where his receivers are going to be
• Consistently aware of his checkdown target
• Decisiveness
• Strong arm
• Accurate inside or outside of the pocket
• Keeps his shoulders square with the trajectory of his throws
• Excellent ball placement
• Good ball security (18 pass breakups in 14 games: 1.28 per game average)
• Short-term memory with bad throws

Elite deep game

I needed this to stand alone.

Sayin has a GREAT deep game. Not good, great.

On his 20+ air-yard passes I personally charted, he went 25/40 (62.5%).

From what I recall, that’s the best deep passing game of a college quarterback prospect I’ve ever evaluated.

Biggest negative?

Sayin tends to hard-set before he throws. In other words, he takes an extra moment as he’s locked in with his receiver before he throws the ball. Like he needed to make sure.

Granted ⎯

Sayin gets the ball out of his hand on time a lot of the time, but there are occasions when he holds on to it too long. All that does is give defensive backs an extra moment to get in position. That’s one thing I don’t like about him.

What was his time to throw in 2025 per Pro Football Focus (PFF)?

2.91 seconds

Ugh...that’s not great.

NFL franchise quarterback?

Sayin has a chance at this point.

Now, he just needs to take the next steps in his development.

But, so far, I’m impressed.

#10 Julian Sayin 6-foot-1, 208 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Spring Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of May 18, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Texas, Grambling, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, Rutgers, Michigan, Indiana, and Miami (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

PFF: 174/388 targets (44.8%) went to receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Human Jugs Machine. Technically sound. High football IQ. Even kneeled nature. Verbal cadence. Heavy play-action RPO offensive system. Took some snaps under center. Athletic. Flexible. Solid ball handling. Has enough pocket strength to shed a pass rusher. One-to-two-read thrower. A little too dependent on his first read throws. Sometimes pats the ball before releasing. Allows himself to become too crowded in the pocket at times, which can affect his accuracy. Controlled thrower. Flashes sidearm throws. Only had bad throwing decisions in 14 games. Works all three route levels. Good job protecting his body when he runs.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season?

1. Hard-setting before he throws?

2. Time to throw?

3. Spreading the ball around to different targets?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.