With Julian Sayin under center, the Ohio State Buckeyes failed to repeat as national champions. Instead, they were eliminated from the College Football Playoff by the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
Despite the disappointing finish, the Buckeyes were happy to have Sayin at quarterback. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting, earned Big Ten second team honors and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
After a breakout year, it wouldn't be a surprise if another team tried to lure him away in the transfer portal. His teammate, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, was offered $10 million to transfer, but turned it down, according to On3's Chris Low.
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Being a Heisman finalist in his first year as a starter certainly caught the attention of some of college football's top programs. However, during an appearance on "The Triple Option," Sayin revealed he didn't have anyone reach out.
“I think everybody knew I was coming back to school, coming back to Ohio State… They weren’t calling me personally, maybe they were calling other people but they weren’t calling me personally," he said. "Everybody knew I was coming back."
Last season, Sayin completed 301-of-391 passes for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 177.5 passer rating. However, he's looking to improve those numbers during the 2026 season.
He'll have a new play caller, though, with Ohio State hiring offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Sayin's been hard at work, though, saying "The quarterback has a lot of responsibility at the line of scrimmage in this system. The play calls are long."
While Sayin didn't receive any interest in the transfer portal, the Buckeyes were busy surrounding him with talent. Of the team's 17 transfer additions, two are wide receivers, including three-star Kyle Parker (LSU Tigers) and three-star Devin McCuin (UTSA Roadrunners).
