Columbus, Ohio — Ryan Day, the football coach at Ohio State, might have been careless in his responses regarding Julian Sayin on Wednesday.
During his last press conference before Saturday’s spring game, Day had the opportunity to dismiss inquiries regarding the progressively remarkable spring from the true freshmen. The issue is that, following the ninth practice of the spring, he had already approved the removal of Saying’s black helmet stripe, making a rather loud statement.
Just two thirds of the way through the spring, no OSU quarterback before had received such recognition. Day revealed why the California native, who joined Alabama’s squad in January, has thrown himself “into the mix” of the Buckeye quarterback competition, now that the secret has been revealed.
Day stated, “He’s been in there competing and making plays.” “The players are usually aware of the black stripe. They witness it when a guy says, “But, you know, after nine practices, it’s evident that he was making a lot of throws, even against the first team. Thus, the play is self-explanatory.
Conventional wisdom was that Kansas State transfer Will Howard and current backup Devin Brown would compete at the start of the spring. But if a spoiler was to surface, Sayin always appeared the most likely candidate. The top quarterback in the 2024 class and sixth overall pick may be the most naturally gifted quarterback in the room, but he still needs to learn the game and hone his skills.
These days, those abilities are starting to come through in the social media highlight videos that go viral around this time of year. Day stated that the quarterbacks will keep playing well in the spring game, thus Sayin, like Howard and Brown, should get some playing time with the starting offense.
“His future is incredibly bright. His speed on the field will mostly depend on his own abilities.
A similar exchange occurred during Brown and Kyle McCord’s match last spring. The later one was far more experienced. The more athletic potential of the former. for Notre Dame hanging around after four games and a Big Ten away game to start the season, Day went for stability and consistency over anything else when selecting McCord.
In a similar vein, Sayin’s assessment is not unsupported. Day stated that as Howard becomes more accustomed to the offense, his experience has started to become more apparent throughout practice. While Brown continues to show promise, Day is hoping for greater consistency.
Some of Day’s compliments may be written off in a different season as an attempt to keep the pressure on Brown and Howard and to remind them of the caliber of talent surrounding him. But the black stripes are usually not taken by OSU for show. Sayin deserved that honor.
Day loves to remind everyone that OSU needed its No. 3 quarterback at every quarterback competition. Sayin might eventually stay behind Howard and Brown for a year before returning to finish the task a year later.
However, Day doesn’t sound like he’s speaking about a real freshman. Furthermore, his speech does not convey an expectation of complete subservience to veterans.
Day stated, “When he gets out there, he has a good plan.” “Wants to avoid having his hand held.” I’m pleased with his methodology.
It’s still a big question whether he can secure the first position by opening day. However, Day also demonstrated a readiness to compete all the way through the season’s opening round and beyond. What happens if, by week four or five, Sayin appears to be the greatest quarterback on the team?
“He must have the mentality that he will play next year, and if he is the best available now, he will play,” Day stated.
