"He has become a better player" - CFB analyst scrutinizes Ryan Day's Julian Sayin-Lincoln Kienholz QB1 dilemma ahead of Ohio State's season opener

Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz's quarterback battle at Ohio State continues to draw attention. The signal-callers observed Will Howard lead Ryan Day's program to a national title in 2024 from the sidelines.

Entering the 2025 season, Sayin and Kienholz are aiming to follow in Howard’s footsteps. Sayin, transferred from Alabama, is considered the leading candidate to start this season.

However, on Monday’s episode of "Adapt & Respond," RJ Young expressed support for Kienholz taking the reins in 2025 (9:45 onwards):

"The last time that we saw that dude play a game in earnest, he was overwhelmed by Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. Devin Brown got hurt and then like just out of the frying pan into the fire. Even so, Ohio State made that into a game while Missouri succeeded in getting, say Cody Schrader to continue to play into January, which is not something that we expected to see until name, image, and likeness came along. "But guys, NFL futures decide to protect them by going, 'Hey, look, I'm done playing college football forever. So, good luck to you going to the Cotton Bowl.' Maybe Lincoln Kienholz has become a better player since then."

The Athletic's Cameron Teague Robinson weighed in, comparing this year’s quarterback contest to a previous year's:

"The way I’ve been describing the quarterback battle is it’s more like Devin Brown vs. Kyle McCord in 2023 than Will Howard vs. Brown last offseason. This year’s battle between Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz seems more like the latter because the spring was truly a back-and-forth affair."

Last year, Lincoln Kienholz was OSU’s fourth-string QB and he is entering his third year at Columbus. Julian Sayin, the top quarterback prospect from the 2024 recruiting class, spent last season as the Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback behind Howard and Brown.

Julian Saylin embraces competition in Ohio State’s quarterback battle

Following Ohio State’s spring game, Ryan Day described the quarterback competition between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz as a "two-horse race." Despite the fierce battle, Day praised both players for managing the pressure and leading the huddle effectively.

In an interview with Eleven Warriors, Julian Sayin reflected on the competitive atmosphere within the quarterback room:

“We definitely have a competitive room – me, Linc, Tavien (St. Clair), Eli (Brickhandler) and all the guys – and it's definitely fun. It's competitive, but we have each other's backs no matter what."It's definitely good to have a competitive room because it brings the best out of each other. But off the field, we have each other's backs no matter what. We're supportive of each other.”

Ohio State will kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 30, playing against Texas.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash