It seems the successor to Will Howard isn’t quite the obvious choice after all. The Ohio State Buckeyes have once again put themselves atop the quarterback controversy conversation.
Julian Sayin, a former 5-star recruit who transferred in from Alabama after Nick Saban’s abrupt retirement, always felt like the incumbent to Howard. He was even hyped up by current and former teammates as the next great quarterback to wear the Scarlet and Grey.
Yet, in Ohio State fans' first chance to see if Ohio State has the roster to defend its 2025 national championship, there was an unlikely player that outplayed Sayin in the annual Student Appreciation Day scrimmage.
Lincoln Kienholz reportedly outplayed Sayin in the 11-on-11 intrasquad scrimmage. While in April, that doesn’t mean much, it does mean maybe Sayin’s job as the starter for the 2025 season might not be a lock.
Could Lincoln Kienholz take Ohio State QB job from Julian Sayin?
My gut is telling me that Sayin will probably still be the starter, barring any major setbacks this spring and early fall. Sayin has been heralded as the future for the Buckeyes and I doubt a spring scrimmage will change that.
According to Eleven Warriors, Sayin struggled with inaccuracy under pressure during the scrimmage, including throwing the only interception in the scrimmage. In contrast, Kienholz flexed his deep accuracy, connecting with Carnell Tate on a 45-yard touchdown.
The Buckeyes quarterback room is loaded with young talent. It’s a blessing and a curse. The good thing about it is the Buckeyes have options to choose from and players to work with if Sayin doesn’t work out.
The bad thing is that inexperience may play a big factor in how well the quarterback room looks and performs over the next few months leading up to the start of the season.
One bad spring scrimmage won’t cause any drastic changes. For example, in that same Eleven Warriors story, Devin Brown outshined Howard in the Student Appreciation Day scrimmage. Howard went on to win a national championship for the Buckeyes and Brown is now at Cal.
Kienholz could very well stir up some controversy with the quarterback position with Sayin. But one intrasquad scrimmage in the spring won’t be the reason why.