Having a signal-caller who can run and scramble away from pressure when needed is crucial to winning a national championship in the modern era of college football.
In the current landscape of college football, the majority of successful quarterbacks are throw-first, run-second type of gunslingers. But while there are plenty of different versions of successful quarterbacks, one thing has remained the same since the College Football Playoff debuted in 2014: Every national championship-winning starting quarterback has finished the season with positive rushing yards and at least one rushing touchdown, even when including yardage lost due to sacks.
| SEASON | QUARTERBACK | RUSHING STATS |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FERNANDO MENDOZA (INDIANA) | 90 CARRIES, 276 YARDS, 7 TDs |
| 2024 | WILL HOWARD (OHIO STATE) | 105 CARRIES, 226 YARDS, 7 TDs |
| 2023 | J.J. MCCARTHY (MICHIGAN) | 64 CARRIES, 202 YARDS, 3 TDs |
| 2022 | STETSON BENNETT (GEORGIA) | 57 CARRIES, 205 YARDS, 10 TDs |
| 2021 | STETSON BENNETT (GEORGIA) | 56 CARRIES, 259 YARDS, 1 TD |
| 2020 | MAC JONES (ALABAMA) | 35 CARRIES, 14 YARDS, 1 TD |
| 2019 | JOE BURROW (LSU) | 115 CARRIES, 368 YARDS, 5 TDs |
| 2018 | TREVOR LAWRENCE (CLEMSON) | 60 CARRIES, 177 YARDS, 1 TD |
| 2017 | JALEN HURTS (ALABAMA) | 154 CARRIES, 855 YARDS, 8 TDs |
| TUA TAGOVAILOA (ALABAMA) | 27 CARRIES, 133 YARDS, 2 TDs | |
| 2016 | DESHAUN WATSON (CLEMSON) | 165 CARRIES, 629 YARDS, 9 TDs |
| 2015 | JAKE COKER (ALABAMA) | 74 CARRIES, 68 YARDS, 2 TDs |
| 2014 | J.T. BARRETT (OHIO STATE) | 171 CARRIES, 938 YARDS, 11 TDs |
| CARDALE JONES (OHIO STATE) | 60 CARRIES, 212 YARDS, 1 TD |
Predating the CFP, the last starting quarterback to win the national championship to finish a season with negative rushing yards was A.J. McCarron (Alabama) in the 2011 season.
In contrast, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin finished the 2025 season with 42 carries for -44 yards. He's just the third Ohio State starting quarterback this century to finish a season with negative rushing yards, joining Kyle McCord (-65 in 2023) and C.J. Stroud (-20 in 2021).
While Sayin hesitated to scramble or run in the open field at times, especially in the Buckeyes' losses to Indiana and Miami to end the season, he also showed glimpses of being able to do so as a first-year starter, including this outstanding scramble against Washington last September.
But as Sayin lost confidence in OSU's offensive line in the losses to Indiana and Miami, the 6-1, 208-pound quarterback also lost confidence to make plays with his legs. Part of that could be because Sayin was sacked only six times throughout the regular season, and then was sacked 10 times (five in each game) against the Hoosiers and Hurricanes. Then again, Sayin's mobility, or lack thereof, might have been part of the reason Indiana and Miami felt comfortable bringing extra pressure.
Speaking of Indiana, when the Hoosiers needed to make a play on 4th-and-5 at the 12-yard line while holding a 17-14 lead over Miami with 9:18 left in the national championship game, Curt Cignetti leaned on his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback – not for Fernando Mendoza's talented arm, but for his ability to make a play with his legs. For just over three-and-a-half quarters, Mendoza didn't run a single time. But when his team needed him the most, he took off for not only a first down, but a 12-yard touchdown run on a QB draw.
FERNANDO. MENDOZA.
— ESPN (@espn) January 20, 2026
THE PLAY OF A LIFETIME pic.twitter.com/g3o5nNNslr
For the national runner-up Miami Hurricanes, Carson Beck was never known as a scrambling quarterback, as the sixth-year senior totaled 189 carries for 288 yards in his career. But when it was needed, Beck made key plays with his legs in crucial situations against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, including an 11-yard scramble on 3rd-and-11. Then, in the CFP semifinals against Ole Miss, Beck had the game-winning three-yard touchdown run to give Miami a 31-27 lead with 18 seconds left.
Without sacks factored in, Beck had 40 carries for 102 yards through Miami's first 16 games of the season, per PFF. Against the Buckeyes and Rebels, he totaled 15 carries for 56 yards (seven carries for 26 yards against Ohio State, eight carries for 30 yards and a touchdown against Ole Miss).
After Will Howard totaled 169 rushing yards in Ohio State's first 13 games of the season last year, including -3 rushing yards against Oregon in the CFP quarterfinal and only four yards on the ground against Texas in the CFP semifinal, he had 16 carries for 57 yards in the Buckeyes’ national championship win over Notre Dame, both of which were season-highs. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Howard has a much different build than Sayin, but Howard was much more comfortable running the ball. His experience as a fifth-year senior likely played a part in that.
Going a few years further back, former Ohio State standout quarterback C.J. Stroud wassn't known for his running ability. Yet, during the Buckeyes' 2022 season, he totaled 42 carries for 188 yards in 13 games, with sacks not factored in. In Ohio State’s 42-41 loss to Georgia in the CFP semifinals, Stroud finished with eight carries for 70 yards, 27 of which came after contact. Like Beck, it was an example of a quarterback who doesn't usually run and scramble doing so in his team's biggest game when it was needed the most, even though the Buckeyes came up short despite his best efforts.
With more experience, there’s reason for optimism that Sayin will improve at knowing when to use his legs to scramble and make plays outside the pocket when things don’t go as expected. While he's not the biggest quarterback, Sayin showed earlier in the season that he can make plays with his feet.
In 2026, however, it will be vital for Sayin to be able to run when needed in the Buckeyes’ biggest games of the season. As recent history shows, it could be necessary for Ohio State to win the national championship.
