Ohio State QB1 update: Ryan Day gives sneak peek to Julian Sayin vs Lincoln Kienholz battle at Columbus for 2025 season

Ohio State coach Ryan Day gave fans an update on the team's starting quarterback role for the 2025 season. At the Buckeyes' Big Ten media day on Tuesday, Day said that the competition between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz is still neck-and-neck.

“It’ll be a fierce competition to see who the starter is,” Day said. “We’re going to put them in as many competitive situations as we possibly can to figure out who handles that the best, because we have to be on point in Week 1. We can’t be messing around.”

The Buckeyes will have a new starting quarterback for the 2025 season, since Will Howard, who led the team to the national title last season, went to the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers took Howard in the sixth round of this year's draft.

Kienholz, who committed to Ohio State in 2023, saw some gametime in his freshman year when he replaced an injured Devin Brown at the Cotton Bowl. Kienholz completed six of 17 passes for 86 yards in that game. However, he did not make any pass attempts for Ohio State last season.

Meanwhile, Sayin, who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama last year, took a few snaps in the 2024 season. He completed five of 12 passes for 84 yards.

Ryan Day says Ohio State won't be defending national title, but attacking the championship next season

NCAA Football: Ohio State HC Ryan Day - Source: Imagn

Although most coaches who win the national title aim to downplay their title defense, Ryan Day is taking a different approach.

"We're not 'defending' anything. They can't take the national championship away. We're attacking," Day said at the Big Ten media day.

Ohio State will host the Texas Longhorns in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 30 to open the 2025 season.

The Longhorns are set to hand quarterback Arch Manning the starting role for the upcoming season. Manning, who comes from a family of football royalty, is considered an early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Edited by Alvin Amansec