Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza might be getting the big headlines around college football right now, but Nick Saban isn’t buying it. Saban knows a thing or two about quarterbacks. He’s seen a few good ones come through while leading the Alabama Crimson Tide.
For Saban, his interests lie in a different direction: Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, and for very good reasons. Sayin was the last QB that Saban recruited at Alabama.
Why Does Nick Saban Like Ohio State’s Julian Sayin?
Saban appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” show on Saturday morning and was asked who he thinks could be the best quarterback in college football. He quickly came up with a stellar answer.
Nick Saban on @CollegeGameDay asked about best QB in CFB: “I think potentially, John Mateer at Oklahoma has been injured — if he’s healthy, he has the opportunity maybe to be that. But I think these two quarterbacks playing here today — Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza both…
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) October 11, 2025
“I think potentially, John Mateer at Oklahoma has been injured — if he’s healthy, he has the opportunity maybe to be that. But I think these two quarterbacks playing here today — Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza both have the opportunity to be the No. 1 quarterback,” Saban said.
“But nobody has done what Ohio State’s quarterback Julian Sayin is — completing 80% of his passes,” Saban said. “Nobody else has done that.” Saban held his ground on Sayin when asked about Alabama starting QB Ty Simpson. “He’s my guy,” Saban said. “We recruited him to Alabama, and I love the guy.”
In the Class of 2024 quarterbacks, Sayin was ranked No. 3, according to 247Sports. Who was ahead of Sayin? Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are a couple of awesome QBs in the college game.
Right now, Sayin is sitting behind Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard. Sayin was at Alabama, but that all changed when Saban retired. Sayin immediately entered the Transfer Portal after not vibing too well with new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Well, Sayin ended up in Columbus, Ohio, and is waiting patiently for his shot once Howard leaves the Buckeyes for, hopefully, a bright future in the NFL. Is Sayin looking forward to becoming QB1 for Ohio State head coach Ryan Day? At this time, yes.
“It’s obviously a big job,” Sayin said, according to an article from CBS Sports, “and I’m excited to compete in the offseason and get better every day to be the best guy I can.”
Sayin has a chance to become Ohio State’s youngest quarterback since 2021, when Day turned over the offense’s reins to CJ Stroud. Where’s Stroud right now? He’s leading the offense of the Houston Texans in the NFL.
Howard is already looking ahead to next season and has Sayin penciled in as the team’s new starter. “They have a plan for him to put on some weight and toughen him up a little bit and have him ready to step in and be the guy next year,” Howard said.
So, keep your eyes on Sayin and how his college career really pans out.
