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Christopher Boan writes for BetOhio.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
Who Will Start at Quarterback for Ohio State in 2025? Latest Odds & Projections
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 had one QB candidate that showed glimpses of his talent last season, one that waited his turn for two years and one true freshman looking to spring an upset on the depth chart.
How did it shake out? Head coach Ryan Day announced on Monday that sophomore Julian Sayin will be the Buckeyes’ starting QB against the Longhorns in Week 1, with the five-star recruit in the class of 2024 beating out Lincoln Kienholz and freshman Tavien St. Clair for the QB1 spot.
Jim Tomlin contributed to an earlier version of this story.
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Ohio State Starting Quarterback Odds
Quarterback | Year | Odds | Percent Chance |
Julian Sayin | (RS) FR | (named starter) | 100.0% |
Lincoln Kienholz | (RS) SO | xx | 0% |
Tavien St. Clair | FR | xx | 0% |
The Field |
| xx | 0% |
These odds are exclusive to BetOhio.com, where real money Ohio sportsbook promotions are easy to access.
Ohio State Starting QB Favorite
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 drills both last year and this year.
The consensus among Ohio-based analysts was that Sayin is the favorite to win the QB1 job under coach Ryan Day and we agreed, initially 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.
Sayin replaces outgoing QB Will Howard, who threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns (to 10 interceptions) in 16 games played, while adding 226 yards and seven scores on the ground for Day and company.
Sayin is tasked with replicating that type of production, which ultimately earned Howard a spot on the All-Big Ten third team in 2024, in addition to being named the CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP for completing 17-of-21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ 34-23 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 20.
Ultimately, his consistency in spring and summer practice, in combination with his high school pedigree, boosted Sayin past his competitors, allowing the California native to become the heir apparent to Howard under center in Columbus, with the sophomore tasked with getting Ohio State back to the CFP in 2025.
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Other Candidates For Buckeyes QB1
Though he was not the favorite, Ohio sports betting has seen much bigger upsets than if Lincoln Kienholz were to have won the starting job. We had 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 this season.
The QB derby in Columbus 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 was a longshot (+7000 odds) to win the QB1 job.
USA Today Network photo by Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch
Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio State’s Starting Quarterback Odds
Julian Sayin has been named the Week 1 starter for Ohio State.
Yes, there were. Lincoln Kienholz was considered the primary challenger at +325 (23.5% implied chance). While less favored than Sayin, he has meaningful experience and was a contender for the starting role.
It was unlikely. Tavien St. Clair, a true freshman, and any other unlisted candidates were seen as long shots. The battle appeared focused on Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz.
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