Ohio State Backup QB Breaks Silence: What Losing the Starting Spot to Julian Sayin Taught Him About Grit and Glory

So, here we are—Ohio State’s quarterback saga finally settled, with Ryan Day handing the reins to Julian Sayin as the starter for the 2025-26 campaign. But here’s the kicker: Sayin had to outshine Lincoln Keinholz, a dude who’s refusing to throw in the towel just yet. Imagine gearing up every day as if you’re the king of the castle, only to find out you’re benched—for now. Yet, Keinholz’s mindset? Stellar. He’s preparing with fire in his belly and a resolve that Day himself couldn’t help but applaud. Let me ask you this: In a sport where momentum can turn on a dime, how crucial is it to have not just one, but two battle-ready quarterbacks on a roster? Buckle up, folks—the season’s long, and the plot is just getting juicy. LEARN MORE.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day announced that Julian Sayin is officially the starting quarterback to begin the 2025-26 season. It was a tough battle throughout the offseason, but Sayin beats out Lincoln Keinholz for the role. With Week 1 on the horizon, Keinholz’s mindset after losing the job reveals he’s remaining positive moving forward.

Day revealed that the 19-year-old quarterback is continuing to prepare as if he is the starting quarterback, according to Patrick Murphy of 247 Sports. Overall, it sounds like the Ohio State head coach is pleased with Keinholz’s reaction to not winning the starting job, and doesn’t completely close the door on the idea of Keinholz playing this season.

“He was great in the meeting that we talked about,” Day said. “He knows in his heart he’s going to play this year. And so he’s going to prepare to play in the first game, and we know it’s a long season. He’s a competitor. I’m sure he wants to play in the first game, but I wouldn’t say he’s discouraged. I thought he had a good practice out here today. He had good energy. The team knows that we’re going to need him, and he knows. Again, I thought that was excellent leadership on his end, and it’s a long season.”

Lincoln Keinholz is entering his third year at Ohio State, where he has been a backup since the 2023-24 campaign. He didn’t make any appearances last season, with Will Howard leading the way as quarterback. However, he has been redshirted, so he will be a redshirt sophomore, giving him an extra year of eligibility.

We’ll see if Keinholz sees the field at all this season. We should see plenty of Julian Sayin after he made some appearances in the 2024-25 season behind Howard as a true freshman. But now he’ll have his chance to shine for the Buckeyes. His first start for Ohio State will be in Week 1 when they take on Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns.

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