The Ohio State Buckeyes might not be done in the transfer portal just yet.
On Friday, Alabama Crimson five-star freshman signee and No. 1 overall quarterback Julian Sayin declared his intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, with Nick Saban’s retirement playing a major role in that decision.
After Saban’s retirement, a 30-day window to enter the portal opened up for any player on the roster – including newly signed players from the early signing period.
And now, it appears that Ohio State could be a landing spot for Sayin.
According to reports from On3’s Pete Nakos, Ohio State and USC have emerged as the two early teams to watch for Sayin, with the hiring of new Buckeyes offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien potentially playing a role his decision.
The Buckeyes have hired Bill O’Brien as their next offensive coordinator,” Nakos said. “The longtime NFL head coach and offensive coordinator’s most recent stop at the college level was at Alabama, where he helped recruit Sayin for some time. Despite O’Brien leaving the Tide for the 2023 season to head back to the New England Patriots, there is familiarity there.”
All that said, USC seems like the more logical landing spot for Sayin, with the losses of Caleb Williams to the NFL, Malachi Nelson to the transfer portal, and redshirt Miller Moss looking like the likely starter in 2024.
But if the Buckeyes do ultimately land Sayin, it could cause a ripple effect in the quarterback room.
