Julian Sayin

Julian Sayin is the son of Karen Bradenburg and Dan Sayin. His older brother, Aidan Sayin, is a quarterback for the University of Pennsylvania, while his older sister, Bailey, played soccer at the University of Chicago.

Sayin grew up in Carlsbad, California, and attended Carlsbad High School.

Sayin became Carlsbad's starting quarterback as a sophomore after initially sitting behind his brother. He passed for 2,769 yards, 34 touchdowns, and five interceptions that season, followed by 2,708 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior. He finished his high school career with 7,824 passing yards, 85 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Before his senior season, Sayin was named MVP of the 2023 Elite 11 quarterback competition. He was also selected for the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl, and led Carlsbad to its fifth consecutive Avocado League title.

A unanimous five-star prospect, Sayin was widely regarded as the top quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class. He originally committed to Alabama during his junior season after considering Georgia and LSU, and received scholarship offers from programs including Notre Dame, Texas, and Florida.

Sayin enrolled early at Alabama in 2023 and practiced with the team during preparation for the 2024 Rose Bowl. He entered the transfer portal after Nick Saban's retirement and announced his transfer to Ohio State in January 2024.

At Ohio State, Sayin appeared in four games as a freshman and completed five of 12 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. His first collegiate touchdown came against Western Michigan, and he was part of Ohio State's 2024 College Football Playoff national championship team.

Ohio State named Sayin its starting quarterback for the 2025 season. In his first start, he completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown in a 14-7 victory over top-ranked Texas. The following week against Grambling State, he completed 18 of 19 passes for 306 yards and four touchdowns, including an 87-yard touchdown pass.

Sayin produced a career-high 393 passing yards and four touchdowns against Wisconsin, one of six games in which he surpassed 300 passing yards. He helped Ohio State complete an undefeated regular season and finish with a No. 1 national ranking before losses to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

He finished the season with 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdown passes, and a 77.0 percent completion rate. That completion percentage led the nation, set an Ohio State single-season record, and ranked as the third-highest single-season mark in FBS history. His honors included Second-Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year, and finalist recognition for the Heisman Trophy.