NCAAF News: Julian Sayin reveals main reason for transferring from Alabama to Ohio State

The reigning NCAAF champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, will have to validate their success from last season, although, as is well known, without the presence of Will Howard as the starting QB. His departure to the NFL sparked the search for a suitable replacement, and the one chosen by Ryan Day was Julian Sayin, who arrived last year from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The talented quarterback had only one reason to stay in Tuscaloosa — and it had a name: Nick Saban. The veteran head coach’s decision to retire from professional coaching led Sayin to enter the transfer portal, a move that ultimately brought him to Ohio State.

In a recent conversation with the media, the standout poised to take over as the starter for the reigning champions revealed that he made a bold career decision — but one he’s happy with, having joined a talent-developing program that has produced stars like Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud.

“When I ended up going to Alabama, I wanted to go play for Coach Saban,” Sayin said on Off Script with Zak Herbstreit. “And, you know when, he retired, I decided to transfer.

Julian Sayin #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes warms up prior to the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field on November 16, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

“Ohio State was just a big decision for me, and I was excited to make it, just because of the quarterback development history they’ve had with Coach Day, and, you know, the guys like Justin Fields, CJ Stroud come before, you know, they’ve done a great job with quarterbacks. And then just the talent they have at the offensive skill positions. It was definitely a great decision for me, and I couldn’t be happier.”

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The QB battle at Ohio State

Will Howard left for the NFL to become the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means Ryan Day now has to make a final decision on who will replace him as the starting quarterback beginning in Week 1.

In a recent exchange with the media, the head coach of the reigning College Football champion pointed to a specific trait he believes his leader must show on the field toward his teammates.

“You want command of that offense. When you stand in there as a quarterback, you want everybody in that hall to believe in you,” Day told reporters on Thursday.

“You want them to follow your command. That’s a three-part, and then taking care of the football, making routine plays, routinely getting us into the right play. That’s one of the things last year that I feel like Will (Howard) probably doesn’t get enough credit for, was all the little things (he did) that kept the offense moving, sometimes throwing the ball away. That keep us on schedule.”