The college football season may be over, but the transfer portal continues to bring excitement to fans across the country. Today, we’ll go over why Julian Sayin transferred to Ohio State.
Julian Sayin’s Football Journey
Sayin played quarterback at Carlsbad High School in his hometown, where he impressed high-level college football programs all across the country.
In 2022, he led Carlsbad to a 10-2 record, completing 66.5% of his passes for 2,708 yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions. His season included standout performances against Liberty and Poway, where he threw for 300 yards against both.
In 2023, he improved upon an already great season by throwing for 2,347 yards (74.5% completion percentage) and 24 touchdowns to one interception. He also added 186 rushing yards and four touchdowns. This culminated in Carlsbad’s fifth consecutive Avocado League title.
Along with offers from Texas, USC and Miami, Sayin had the honor of being the last player scouted and signed by the legendary Nick Saban when he was at Alabama.
So it sounded like Sayin would be a part of the Crimson Tide, hoping to add his name to a long list of great Alabama quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Jalen Hurts, and Bryce Young. With Milroe entering the NFL draft, Sayin would be in a great situation to develop his game.
Since Saban’s retirement, however, Sayin had a change of heart.
Why Sayin Transferred From Alabama to Ohio State
Ohio State’s national championship showed the college football world just how good head coach Ryan Day was as a quarterback’s best friend. Having developed a relationship that saw Will Howard go from a solid quarterback at Kansas State to a national championship-winning quarterback at Ohio State.
With Howard entering the NFL draft, Day finds himself in need of a new quarterback to pair with wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Nonetheless, Ohio State will have to replace a lot of pieces on the team, with key contributors like Jack Sawyer and Emeka Egbuka entering the NFL Draft.
Another reason for his departure from Alabama comes in the form of a previous relationship with Day and former Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
“When I entered the transfer portal, I knew Coach Day; we had a good relationship throughout the recruiting process,” Sayin said when discussing his move to Ohio State.
KEEP READING: ‘2 Years of Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith’ Has Ohio State Fans Fired Up
When discussing his meeting with Kelly, Sayin said, “I ended up getting here, and then (offensive coordinator Chip Kelly) came here, and me and him had a good relationship during the recruiting process, so it was a good fit, and I couldn’t be happier here.”
Ultimately, Sayin’s departure from Alabama to Ohio State was the result of a better fit for the sake of his development. Fans will be excited to see what Day and the 19-year-old quarterback can do together. Only time will tell if this move works out and whether they can replicate the success they had this past season.
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