Ohio State’s quarterback competition between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz continued Friday in a lighthearted way.
Kienholz and Sayin were the quarterbacks at the scrimmage station at Friday’s Special Skills Football Invitational, a camp for athletes with special needs at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. As they have all offseason, Sayin and Kienholz went head-to-head, attempting to throw touchdowns and elude pass rushers as they led their respective squads against one another.
While Ryan Day and Billy Fessler weren’t charting any passes by the Ohio State quarterbacks on Friday, the event nevertheless highlighted the dynamic between Sayin and Kienholz. While both quarterbacks are eager to be Ohio State’s starter this season, they’re also friends who are enjoying competing with each other. And each of them has only good things to say about the other, even as they look to state their cases to start.
“We definitely have a competitive room – me, Linc, Tavien (St. Clair), Eli (Brickhandler) and all the guys – and it's definitely fun,” Sayin said after Friday’s camp. “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.”
Kienholz says he, Sayin and the rest of Ohio State’s quarterbacks make each other better every day whether they’re in the weight room or on the practice field.
“We’re pushing each other,” Kienholz told Eleven Warriors. “And I mean, Jules is a great dude. A great quarterback as well.”
Both quarterbacks believe they’ve grown significantly this offseason between winter workouts, spring practice and summer workouts. Sayin, who was Ohio State’s third-string quarterback last season behind Will Howard and Devin Brown, said he benefited from getting a lot of reps this spring and that his mastery of Ohio State’s offense, as well as his mechanics, have improved.
“I think I've grown in just understanding more about the game, watching tape, being able to match routes with my feet and my drop and all those things,” Sayin said. “I think spring, it’s a great time, because we got so many reps this spring. Just getting on the same page with the receivers and then just improving as the offense, as a unit.”
Kienholz, who was Ohio State’s fourth-string quarterback last season but is in his third year at OSU while Sayin is in his second, says he feels like a different quarterback entering this year’s preseason camp than he has the past two years.
“It's been really good,” Kienholz said. “I've been getting stronger, faster and I think my body and my mind’s in the right spot going into fall camp.”
Both quarterbacks had a front-row seat last year as Will Howard led Ohio State to a national championship. Now, they’re looking to emulate Howard and step up as leaders themselves.
“Honestly, I think it's more like a responsibility to kind of take over as a leader and I guess just kind of be that guy people can lean on,” Kienholz said.
“I think Will was such a great leader to learn from, and he was someone who was able to get the entire team around him, get the entire building to rally around him. So it’s definitely important to see that,” Sayin said.
Sayin, the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, has been viewed as the frontrunner to start this season since he transferred to Ohio State following a brief stint at Alabama last offseason. He’s still viewed as the likely starter this season in Columbus. Even in Friday’s casual setting, one could see why: Sayin’s quick release and natural ability to throw the ball with accuracy were noticeable, while he’s added more muscle to his 6-foot-1 frame.
Still, he knows he must prove he’s ready for the job in preseason camp, especially considering how high Ohio State’s standard of quarterback play has been in recent years.
“They definitely have a historic quarterback room here. Just trying to take it one day at a time and learn from the guys before me, and take all the notes from Coach Day, who’s obviously a great quarterbacks coach, and Coach Fessler,” Sayin said.
Kienholz has demonstrated himself to be a viable competitor in the quarterback derby, too. While similar in size to Sayin, he’s a more natural runner who’s made clear strides this offseason as a passer, along with having an extra year of practicing and being around Ohio State in his back pocket.
After choosing to stay and compete with Sayin rather than look for an easier path to a starting job elsewhere, Kienholz is hungry to earn his place on the field in what he views as a big year for his college career.
“It's honestly a defining moment for my career, I feel like it is, because I'm in a position to go out there and play a lot or start depending on what happens in fall camp,” Kienholz said.
Ryan Day said in April that there were times this spring that he felt Kienholz took the lead in the quarterback competition, but Sayin evened the competition back up with his strong showing in the spring game. Asked about the state of the competition last week during an appearance on The Bobby Carpenter Show, Day said Sayin and Kienholz remain neck-and-neck entering preseason camp.
“I would say that there's times where I've gone into this part of the season where I feel like I know or have a feeling on where it's going. I don't right now. I like both of our guys,” Day said. “Julian and Lincoln both have done some really good things here in the offseason. They're getting stronger. Talking to (director of sports performance Mickey Marotti), there's been really good leadership. The ball is coming out of their hand good right now. But we've got to go play football. And that's to me, like, obviously the wild card in all of this.
“When it's 4th-and-2, are we going to get three yards? Getting guys to play well once we get in the red zone, like making the throws that we need to make in the red area. Making decisions on when to throw the ball away. Taking care of the football. Maybe taking a sack when we're not going to force the ball into coverage so that we might have to punt – as hard as that is – play great defense, get the ball back and go score. Like that, to me, is how you win games, is making great decisions. Third down, two-minute. And so, you just don't know until you get on the field and play. I thought there was some really good growth this spring, but we'll see. We'll see where this thing goes.”
The competition, and Ohio State’s urgency to pick its starting quarterback for the season ahead, will pick up in less than two weeks when Ohio State starts preseason camp on July 31. Both quarterbacks are determined to put their best foot forward as they prepare for the Buckeyes’ Aug. 30 season opener against Texas.
“It's going to be a fun camp and I'm excited to get back to football,” Sayin said. “We've had a great summer of working out and lifting. We’ve gotten stronger, we’ve gotten faster as a team, and it'll be fun to start playing football again.”
