A transfer from Alabama, sophomore Julian Sayin is in hot competition with junior Lincoln Kienholz for the starting quarterback position. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
The competition between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz to be the Buckeyes’ starter is nearing an end for a room of competitors who like each other, help each other and encourage each other.
Columbus, OH – Matt Cassano entered his senior season at New Hampshire with more experience than the confident sophomore in the quarterback room.
Cassano had already won the quarterback job as a sophomore in 1997. But he was injured in the seventh game of the season. In 1998, he was the backup. In 1999, he tried to win his job back.
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But Ryan Day was Cassano’s competition. Day won the job, started for three years and set nine school records. Bad blood? Not a drop.
“One of my close friends to this day is one of the quarterbacks that was in that room,” Day said of Cassano. “The easy thing early on is to kind of hate the guy you’re going against, and then you spend so much time with them they become your best friends.”
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Day is observing his personal history repeat itself in one of the most competitive quarterback battles since he became head coach at Ohio State.
The presumed leader is sophomore Julian Sayin, the California kid who transferred from Alabama when Nick Saban retired. The other guy is junior Lincoln Kienholz, the three-sport high school athlete from South Dakota who played two years ago in the ugly Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri because Kyle McCord was transferring and Devin Brown got injured.
Day insists the competition is close. And he’s been in his quarterbacks’ shoes.
“If I could talk to my former self in that spot, I would say, be the hardest worker, outwork the room, but control the things that you can control, things like the team, commanding the huddle, commanding the line of scrimmage, your body language, your leadership,” he said. “Those things make a big difference probably more than being 12 of 15 during seven on seven.”
One will be anointed starter, maybe as soon as next week. One will be the backup. And depending on how the starter plays, whether there’s an injury, both might see significant time. Day and quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler are preparing for all scenarios. And the quarterbacks, including freshman Tavien St. Clair from Bellefontaine, are working to help themselves and each other.
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“We have a close room here,” Sayin said. “We compete every day, but we have each other’s back for sure.”
“The past two years Julian and I have developed a good friendship,” Kienholz said. “And with Tavien coming in this year we’re all cool towards each other, and we all want each other to get better.”
Day emphasizes depth at every position because of the potential for longer seasons in the 12-team playoff era. Still, some day soon, he must name a starter.
Each day Sayin (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) and Kienholz (6-3, 215) show Day and Fessler why they should start the season opener against Texas. They showcase all they’ve been perfecting: footwork, arm strength, release, ability to quickly read a defense, athletic ability, command of the offense, command of the huddle and leadership. And key game situations like third down, short yardage, two-minute offense, etc. Those are the moments when Day says quarterbacks make their money.
Practice isn’t a game, but Day does everything he can to put pressure on his quarterbacks. Neither is the clear-cut starter like in high school. There’s nothing comfortable about the process, and with Texas looming that’s a good thing.
“When you’re competing with somebody, you’re always looking over your shoulder,” Day said. “That’s not a great feeling, but it’s a healthy feeling because you know that you must hold yourself to a certain standard. You’re not allowed to have a bad day, and you certainly can’t have bad plays. It’s not a comfortable feeling, but that’s OK.”
Sayin: ‘Are you someone who the offense can count on’
Leadership is high on Day’s list of must-have characteristics. When much is equal in the field, leadership and how the team responds to a quarterback can be the differentiator. These guys were leaders in high school, but it’s clearly a more daunting task at the highest level of college football to be the vocal leader championship teams require.
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“I’m developing it, but it has to be authentic,” Sayin said. “You can’t be someone you’re not.”
Players follow teammates they can trust. Some of that trust is built on integrity. And much of it is built on performance.
“Earning trust is all about consistency,” Sayin said. “Who are you day in and day out. And are you making the routine plays routinely, and are you someone who the offense can count on.”
Day said Sayin offers a lot to like: smarts, quick decision making, accuracy, quickness.
“He’s got twitch in his lower half, but he’s got twitch in his upper half,” Day said. “Remember how quick the ball used to come out of DeWayne’s [Haskins] hands. It’s similar with Julian. He’s building more and more of a command on the field. He knows what it takes.”
Kienholz: ‘More time, more reps, more film study has helped’
Kienholz built his leadership profile in the weight room where performance coach Mickey Marotti pushes players hard to get stronger and grow as leaders. Marotti recognizes a few players every year as an Iron Buckeye.
They earn distinction for dedication, discipline and leadership during offseason workouts. Iron Buckeyes go above and beyond to be elite. Kienholz is a 2025 Iron Buckeye.
“It’s something that everyone on our team should strive for, and I think it’s the biggest honor in the program, especially in the offseason,” Kienholz said. “It just shows that I put in some work in the offseason in the weight room and also on the field. Hopefully I proved to my teammates that my leadership’s there as well.”
Not the same Kienholz you remember: “I’ve been in the offense for three years now, so it’s something that more time, more reps, more film study has helped me get better.” – Lincoln Kienholz
Kienholz is not the same freshman who was thrust into an impossible situation against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. He wasn’t ready.
“I feel way different,” he said. “As a freshman I didn’t really know a whole lot. The biggest thing was probably protection. I didn’t really know how that worked. Now that’s something that I feel like I’m pretty good at. I’ve been in the offense for three years now, so it’s something that more time, more reps, more film study has helped me get better.”
Fessler is impressed by Kienholz’s Iron Buckeye status and his athletic ability to extend plays. But it’s not just those purely natural traits that Fessler notices.
“We’ve seen him grow as a leader, he’s more vocal, his presence is felt,” Fessler said. “He’s playing with a little bit of an edge to him. We’re definitely seeing Lincoln get the ball out quick. He’s accurate.”
Day’s decision day looms
Day is choosing a starting quarterback for the third straight year. He knows strong camaraderie when he sees it, and he knows and appreciates the benefits of healthy competition.
“There’s positives to having an incumbent,” Day said. “But the positives of having a competition is that every day you’ve got to bring it, and every day you got to put your best guys out there to figure out who’s making progress and who isn’t. And guys are always on edge, they’re uncomfortable, they’re working at it. That’s healthy for the entire building.”
Best of all, perhaps, for Day and the fortunes of the entire team is that the head coach exudes confidence in this group’s ability – no matter who starts – to lead the pursuit of a second straight national championship.
“They’re all good for each other in a lot of different ways,” he said. “That has to be the best room in the country.”
A room full of lifelong friends.
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