Julian Sayin left Ohio State’s win at Indiana with a right arm injury. After the stunning victory, sports doctor David Chao, a former NFL team physician, gave an alarming assessment of what the 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist’s issue could be.
“By video, worry for significant right elbow/arm injury. Possible ulnar collateral ligament strain/tear,” Chao wrote in a post on his social media channels. The ulnar collateral ligament, or UCL, stabilizes the inner side of the elbow, and throwing places heavy stress on it.
With a bye week next and a road trip to USC after that, the diagnosis decides whether the QB for the nation’s likely No. 2 ranked team returns before a stretch that includes both the Trojans and Oregon.
Indiana’s Mario Landino sacked Sayin with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter, and the quarterback’s throwing elbow appeared to hyperextend as the ball came loose, according to a Sporting News report. His right arm hung limp as he walked off.
He returned to the sideline in a sling and no helmet and never re-entered as Ohio State held on for a 19-15 road victory, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day offered no medical detail postgame. Day said Sayin will “probably be out for several weeks.” The school has not released an official diagnosis as of Saturday evening.
Sayin is a 6-foot-1, 214-pound junior from Carlsbad, California, who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama in January 2024 after signing as a unanimous five-star recruit, according to OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
He appeared in four games on the 2024 national championship team, then led the nation in 2025 with a 77.0 completion percentage while throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Through six games this season, he completed 116 of 163 passes for 1,772 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, according to ESPN.
Julian Sayin Injury Timeline for Ohio State Buckeyes
UCL injuries are graded by severity. A Grade 1 strain often heals in two to four weeks with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy, according to Hospital for Special Surgery. A Grade 2 partial tear typically means four to eight weeks or longer, sometimes with a brace and a progressive throwing program.
A complete Grade 3 tear usually requires surgery, and throwers commonly face a return of six to 12 months or more, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
“Right elbow or shoulder injury,” another sports doctor, Jesse Morse, wrote on social media. Morse, a board-certified sports and family medicine physician, listed a UCL sprain or tear and an acromioclavicular (AC) sprain in the shoulder as possibilities.
He initially considered a proximal humerus fracture or shoulder dislocation, but Day’s “several weeks” comment makes either far less likely, Morse said. Morse’s estimate runs from a minimum of two weeks to as many as four.
Ohio State has a bye on Oct. 24, then plays at USC on Oct. 31 and hosts Oregon on Nov. 7. If Chao’s concern proves correct, a Grade 1 strain would open the door to a return around the USC game. A partial tear would sideline Sayin for USC, Oregon or both, and a complete tear would threaten the remainder of the season.
Ohio State Buckeyes Outlook Without Julian Sayin
Freshman Luke Fahey took over for Sayin and finished the game. Fahey beat out higher-rated sophomore Tavien St. Clair for the No. 2 job earlier this season, according to Eleven Warriors coverage.
The Buckeyes still have receiver Jeremiah Smith and a bye week to prepare Fahey for a schedule that includes USC, Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. The program has not announced imaging results or an official timeline.
Ohio State Handed Alarming Julian Sayin Injury Outlook by Sports Doctor