The Ohio State football team will lean on a new starting quarterback in 2025 to try to copy the glory that the Buckeyes achieved last season.
The defending College Football Playoff national champions have one QB candidate that showed glimpses of his talent last season, one that has waited his turn for two years and one true freshman looking to spring an upset on the depth chart.
Here are our odds for who will be OSU’s starting quarterback for Week 1 and beyond:
Quarterback | Year | Odds | Percent Chance |
Julian Sayin | (RS) FR | -300 | 75.0% |
Lincoln Kienholz | (RS) SO | +325 | 23.5% |
Tavien St. Clair | FR | +7000 | 1.4% |
The Field |
| +100000 | 0.1% |
These odds are exclusive to BetOhio.com, where real money Ohio sportsbook promotions are easy to access.
Julian Sayin is a former 5-star prospect who was rated the top QB recruit of the 2024 signing class. He initially signed with Alabama but left after Crimson Tide coaching legend Nick Saban retired. Sayin transferred to Ohio State in early 2024 and was in spring drill both last year and this year.
The consensus among Ohio-based analysts is that Sayin is the favorite to win the QB1 job under coach Ryan Day and we agree, giving him -300 odds. That’s a 75% implied probability as fans calculate Ohio State Playoff chances before Sayin even starts a game.
Sayin saw action briefly last season, mostly in mop-up duty, compiling 84 yards and a touchdown on 5-for-12 passing. He ran twice for 24 yards as well. In the spring game on April 12, Sayin was 17 of 24 for 175 yards and a TD, but as expected for a final spring practice, he was not the only signalcaller taking snaps.
Though he is not the favorite, Ohio sports betting has seen much bigger upsets than if Lincoln Kienholz were to win the starting job. We have him at +325 odds.
In that spring game, Lincoln Kienholz completed 12 of 18 passes for 158 yards and two scores. Kienholz, a redshirt sophomore out of South Dakota, played in a couple of games in 2023 but did not see any game action last season.
In 2024, Sayin was the second option off the bench behind starter Will Howard and Devin Brown, the primary backup. Brown has since transferred to California, leaving Kienholz as the main competition for Sayin.
The QB derby in Columbus has had little impact on OSU’s preseason odds. At bet365 Ohio Sportsbook, the Buckeyes have +190 odds to win the Big Ten championship and a -370 line to return for the second edition of the 12-team CFP.
Tavien St. Clair is a true freshman out of Bellefontaine High School, about 55 miles northwest of Ohio Stadium. He is another 5-star recruit and was ranked the No. 2 quarterback in this year’s recruiting class by 247 Sports. He is a longshot (+7000 odds) to win the QB1 job.
According to OhioStateBuckeyes.com, the official site of OSU athletics, there are seven quarterbacks on the roster as of July 31. But we think it’s extremely unlikely that the starter will come from outside of the three candidates that we have listed. We rate those chances at 0.1%, which would translate to +100000 odds if it were a prop bet offered at Ohio sports betting apps for the season.
USA Today Network photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Julian Sayin is the leading candidate. With strong odds and a 75% implied chance, he is widely expected to be under center when the Buckeyes kick off their 2025 season.
Yes. Lincoln Kienholz is considered the primary challenger at +325 (23.5% implied chance). While less favored than Sayin, he has meaningful experience and remains a contender for the starting role.
It’s unlikely. Tavien St. Clair, a true freshman, and any other unlisted candidates are seen as long shots according to current odds. Barring unexpected developments, the battle appears focused on Sayin and Kienholz.
Author
Ohio native Jim Tomlin has 30 years of experience in journalism, mostly in sports. He lends his expertise to BetOhio.com as a writer and editor after previous experience at the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.
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