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Who will be Will Howard’s successor as Ohio State’s quarterback?
That’s the biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes as they wrap up spring practice with Saturday’s spring game at Ohio Stadium. The answer probably won’t be answered for months, no matter how Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz or Tavien St. Clair perform Saturday.
Coach Ryan Day has held off naming a starter until well into training camp in all of the quarterback competitions he has had since taking over in 2019. It was clear, for example, that Howard would be the starter last year long before Day officially named him the starter on Aug. 16.
More: Ohio State football spring game: 10 OSU players to watch in scrimmage at Ohio Stadium
This year, Day says, it is a real battle, especially between Sayin and Kienholz. None of the three has started a college game. Here’s a look at what to look for from each quarterback:
Sayin was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He enrolled early at Alabama and transferred to Ohio State following Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban’s retirement.
At 6 feet 1 and 203 pounds, Sayin isn’t the biggest quarterback, but the Californian is blessed with a strong, accurate arm and a quick release. Former Buckeyes gushed about him at the NFL combine.
More: What to do for an encore? Ohio State football WR Jeremiah Smith fights complacency
Sayin is on the quiet side, and coaches want the quarterback to display some of Howard’s fire. Sayin is still probably the front-runner. A year ago, he was the third-stringer behind Howard and Devin Brown while Kienholz was fourth on the depth chart.
A strong spring game could make him the clear front-runner entering training camp.
Ohio State fans’ biggest glimpse of Kienholz came in the 2023 Cotton Bowl when he replaced the injured Brown and struggled mightily in the 14-3 loss to Missouri. He completed only 6 of 17 passes for 86 yards in that game.
That was a tough situation for Kienholz, who didn’t enroll until the summer and had to play before he was ready. Much of the speculation about Kienholz last year was whether he would transfer.
Now a strong spring performance has the redshirt sophomore in a legitimate battle with Sayin. As a three-sport athlete in South Dakota, the 6-3, 207-pound Kienholz is still learning the position. But he has been impressive this spring. In Saturday's scrimmage, he was sharper than Sayin.
It would still probably be an upset if Kienholz won the job, but it wouldn’t be nearly as surprising as it would have been at the start of spring practice.
Day conceded that St. Clair is behind Sayin and Kienholz, which is to be expected of a true freshman. But the 6-4, 225-pounder from Bellefontaine has shown the skills that made him a five-star prospect.
He has excellent size, a strong arm and mobility. His time is coming. But it probably won’t be in 2025 unless something surprising happens.
Saturday’s scrimmage will be important for St. Clair as a chance to show how he can perform in front of a big crowd.
Buy Ohio State posters, books, gear from CFP title win
Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at [email protected] or on bluesky at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What to watch for from Ohio State quarterbacks in spring game
Continue reading...
That’s the biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes as they wrap up spring practice with Saturday’s spring game at Ohio Stadium. The answer probably won’t be answered for months, no matter how Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz or Tavien St. Clair perform Saturday.
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Coach Ryan Day has held off naming a starter until well into training camp in all of the quarterback competitions he has had since taking over in 2019. It was clear, for example, that Howard would be the starter last year long before Day officially named him the starter on Aug. 16.
More: Ohio State football spring game: 10 OSU players to watch in scrimmage at Ohio Stadium
This year, Day says, it is a real battle, especially between Sayin and Kienholz. None of the three has started a college game. Here’s a look at what to look for from each quarterback:
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Julian Sayin
Sayin was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He enrolled early at Alabama and transferred to Ohio State following Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban’s retirement.
At 6 feet 1 and 203 pounds, Sayin isn’t the biggest quarterback, but the Californian is blessed with a strong, accurate arm and a quick release. Former Buckeyes gushed about him at the NFL combine.
More: What to do for an encore? Ohio State football WR Jeremiah Smith fights complacency
Sayin is on the quiet side, and coaches want the quarterback to display some of Howard’s fire. Sayin is still probably the front-runner. A year ago, he was the third-stringer behind Howard and Devin Brown while Kienholz was fourth on the depth chart.
A strong spring game could make him the clear front-runner entering training camp.
Lincoln Kienholz
Ohio State fans’ biggest glimpse of Kienholz came in the 2023 Cotton Bowl when he replaced the injured Brown and struggled mightily in the 14-3 loss to Missouri. He completed only 6 of 17 passes for 86 yards in that game.
That was a tough situation for Kienholz, who didn’t enroll until the summer and had to play before he was ready. Much of the speculation about Kienholz last year was whether he would transfer.
Now a strong spring performance has the redshirt sophomore in a legitimate battle with Sayin. As a three-sport athlete in South Dakota, the 6-3, 207-pound Kienholz is still learning the position. But he has been impressive this spring. In Saturday's scrimmage, he was sharper than Sayin.
It would still probably be an upset if Kienholz won the job, but it wouldn’t be nearly as surprising as it would have been at the start of spring practice.
Tavien St. Clair
Day conceded that St. Clair is behind Sayin and Kienholz, which is to be expected of a true freshman. But the 6-4, 225-pounder from Bellefontaine has shown the skills that made him a five-star prospect.
He has excellent size, a strong arm and mobility. His time is coming. But it probably won’t be in 2025 unless something surprising happens.
Saturday’s scrimmage will be important for St. Clair as a chance to show how he can perform in front of a big crowd.
Buy Ohio State posters, books, gear from CFP title win
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Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at [email protected] or on bluesky at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What to watch for from Ohio State quarterbacks in spring game
Continue reading...
