Julian Sayin isn’t letting his new status as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner distract him from Ohio State’s team goals.
Meeting with the media on Wednesday after emerging as the Heisman favorite with his performance against Penn State last weekend, Sayin expressed gratitude for the national recognition but said his focus – and that of his other award-worthy teammates – is on winning games with his team.
“It’s an awesome feeling, but nothing matters without the team. We’re all focused on team success here,” Sayin said.
Sayin was one of six Buckeye players to meet with the media on Wednesday. Tight end Max Klare talked about his excitement for this week’s game at Purdue as he gets a chance to play in the stadium he called home for the last three years. Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. talked about being unleashed as a pass-rusher and how he scared his coaches on Halloween. Cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. talked about what makes Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith great, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald spoke on his breakthrough this season and tight end Bennett Christian talked about his touchdown catch against the Nittany Lions.
QB Julian Sayin
“It’s an awesome feeling, but nothing matters without the team. We’re all focused on team success here. We have a lot of great players, and the guys are up for awards, but we’re all focused on team success.”– Julian Sayin on being the Heisman frontrunner
- Sayin said Ohio State’s coaches and players know the standard they have to live up to every day, whether or not the Buckeyes rank No. 1 in polls and rankings. “When you’re at Ohio State, you’ve got to bring your A-game every day. In practice, you can’t have a bad day at Ohio State. That’s what Coach Day says. You have to be on your game at all times. Everyone has to do their job. Every position knows that. We’re focused on that each and every week.”
- Sayin says it's not just Jeremiah Smith's statistics that make him worthy of individual awards, but also his work ethic and attention to detail.“His work ethic is unmatched. His skill set is very good, but the way he works in practice and the way he fine-tunes his craft is very special. I think the ability for him to go make some great catches, but then also he’ll dig out a safety and go make some great blocks.
- Sayin called Day “an elite quarterback coach.” He added: “A reason why I came here was because of the coaching that he has and the quarterback development that he has, so I think it’s awesome to see that he’s able to coach the position really well. I take a lot of great tips from him whenever he’s talking.”
TE Max Klare
“I think I’ve gotten a lot better in every aspect. Just keep growing my game and getting better each week.”– Max Klare on his improvement since transferring from Purdue to Ohio State
- Klare is excited to play against his former team, especially since his brother Luke still plays for Purdue. He says his brother is “excited about the trajectory of the program” despite Purdue’s 2-7 record this season.
- Klare says his family’s rooting interest will be “split down the middle. Whoever’s winning, I think they’ll root for them.”
- Asked about Ohio State’s history against Purdue, Klare said he was not aware of the “Holy Buckeye” game in 2002 (Klare was born in 2003) but remembered Purdue’s win over Ohio State in 2018 with Tyler Trent on the sidelines.
- Klare said he never would have envisioned he’d be playing for Ohio State when he played against Ohio State as a Boilermaker last year. He said it feels “surreal” to be going back to Purdue as a Buckeye this week.
- Klare said Julian Sayin has been “super consistent” with who he is amid his growing fame. “He hasn’t changed who he is. He’s the same guy as he was preseason, which is really good to see.”
DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
“He moves so smooth in the backfield.”– Kenyatta Jackson Jr. on Julian Sayin’s ability to move in the pocket
- After telling the media before the Wisconsin game that he talked to Matt Patricia about being unleashed more as a pass-rusher, he feels like that’s happened in the last two games, in which he’s had three sacks.
- Asked what he’s going to ask Patricia for next, Jackson laughed and said, “Nothing.”
- Ryan Day said Wednesday that he sees Kenyatta Jackson Jr.’s confidence growing. Jackson agreed with that assessment. “My confidence is rising. It’s increasing.”
- Jackson wore a Michael Myers mask on Halloween to try to scare his coaches and teammates. He said he successfully scared Larry Johnson and Mickey Marotti – he made Marotti scream – but Jeremiah Smith “didn’t budge.”
CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.
“It’s actually good for us because of how patient he is and how he sees the game and how he reads our defenses. It gives us, I’d say, a great look because of how the ball is coming out of his hands, it’s coming fast. You get a better look than sometimes you get on Saturdays.”– Jermaine Mathews Jr. on whether facing Julian Sayin in practice is frustrating
- Mathews took pride in how Ohio State’s defense has performed this season. He said it’s a sign of how hard the Buckeyes worked in the offseason to prepare for this fall. “It feels good to see some of the work that we put in just get brought to the light. We have a lot of football left, so don’t want to get too excited right now.”
- Matthews shared what stands out about Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith. On Tate: “I think just his body control and how he stems out. He makes all of his routes kind of look the same. He’ll break it off on you, he’ll keep going. I think he’s just a complete receiver.” On Smith: “He’s just so gifted, he’s so strong, fast. I think his best attribute to me personally is his speed. He’s just so fast. You got to honor his speed, and then everything goes with it.”
- Mathews said Sayin has a fiery edge that most people don’t know about. “You go after him first, he’s gonna come back. He’s not gonna let you — he’s not gonna back down from anything. He’s very competitive.”
DT Kayden McDonald
“That’s the preparation throughout the week. Each play is a game rep, and once the game starts, no guessing. And knowing what you're doing and assignments and trusting your technique and trusting the teammates around you makes me play more free.”– Kayden McDonald on his monster production in 2025
- On what it’s been like playing in this year’s Ohio State defense: “It's really special to me, having Coach Johnson, Coach Patricia and all my guys working together each week. And every week, we’re just getting better, and we’re just gonna keep working.”
- On his high snap count: “I'd rather just blow out the (other) team, but whatever I have to do for my team, play the snaps, I'll play them. As long as we get the win, I'm OK.”
- That preparation and serious approach to the game is a major difference for McDonald from last year, he said. “For sure, I felt like I took this year way more seriously and just having a chance to really make a name for myself, that's the motivation for me.”
- Above all else, McDonald’s motivation this season is another national title. “It's a blessing playing for The Ohio State University. It gives me a little bit of motivation because last year's team won a national championship. Now it's our turn, my class and my boys. And that gives me the motivation to go repeat.”
TE Bennett Christian
“I always joke around with him and say that he can't run, but he showed it. I was on the sideline just like, ‘What?’ But it was an amazing play. He got out there and made some guys miss. I guess we know now that Julian, he can run it. He got my respect.”– Bennett Christian on Sayin’s 3rd-and-5 scramble
- On his touchdown reception vs. Penn State: “I saw an open area and I ran to it and got the ball thrown to me and made a catch.”
- Christian was fired up before the game, but not because he knew he’d be scoring a touchdown, though he knew he had a chance when the play call came in. “I had no idea. I was just trying to fire myself up and get ready for a good game. I feel like sometimes we're planning plays that I think I might be getting one, and we don't run it. Sometimes we're planning plays and we do get it. That was one I knew either me or Max (Klare) would get it.”
- On Klare: “Max, I think every game he's played better and better, especially in his run blocking. I think he's worked a lot on that in practice and after practice. I think it's really showing on the field.”
