Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin, with a NIL valuation of $2.4 million, is being treated like a borderline name rather than one of college football’s premier returning players.
In On3’s latest 2026 Heisman rankings, Sayin is slotted under “other considerations”, even after a commendable 2025 season. He finished as a Heisman finalist and helped push Ohio State to a 12-0 regular season. At the same time, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is No. 1 on the same board, which is a fair reflection of his production.
Now, the surprising part of that ranking is that it still has Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning ahead of Sayin at No. 7. The team finished with a 9-3 record in comparison and those losses came against the Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators.
“Here come the groans, but it’s time to accept Manning is a high-level NFL Draft prospect,” Ari Wasserman of On3 wrote. “There is no question he struggled in the first half of his first year starting. Maybe he was crowned too early because of the hype and his last name. But Manning is a high-level processor with insane athleticism.”
“He got better down the stretch of last season, even with some dreadful offensive line play along the way,” Wasserman added. “Now he’s going to be surrounded by top-tier talent. A huge year out of him is inevitable.”
Julian Sayin’s Production Should Carry More Weight
GettyJulian Sayin dropped out of the Top 10 in On3’s latest rankings.
Sayin’s 2025 season was not merely good. He finished with 77% completions, 3,610 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. He was sacked 16 times. The only reason he did not claim the Heisman trophy was that Fernando Mendoza’s Indiana Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes. If Ohio State’s offense had not stalled in the Big Ten title game. Mendoza went on to pick up the Heisman and was selected No. 1 at the NFL Draft 2026.
The comparison with Arch Manning is where the slight becomes obvious. The stat line for Manning shows 61.4% completions, 3,163 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He was sacked 23 times in Texas’ offense.
Manning also added 399 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, which gives him a more diverse profile and explains part of the hype. Even so, Sayin was the more efficient passer, with a better completion rate, more passing yards and fewer sacks.
The latest CBS Sports Heisman odds still opened with Manning at +800 and Sayin at +1200, so the market clearly values Manning’s upside and dual-threat element. That is understandable, yet Sayin’s placement feels light.
Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 is the Right Call
GettyJeremiah Smith is the undisputed No. 1.
If there is one Ohio State player whose ranking does not need an argument, it is Smith. ESPN’s way-too-early Heisman look also made him one of the sport’s top offensive stars after a 2025 season of 87 catches, 1,243 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns.
That production is why Smith is viewed as the safest elite talent in the sport and it is also why Ohio State enters 2026 with both the nation’s top receiver and a quarterback whose resume already belongs in the same tier.
“One of the best receiver prospects we’ve ever seen,” Wasserman wrote. “In his first two seasons with the Buckeyes, Smith has accumulated more than 2,500 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns. He already has a national title to his name. Smith is so good, in fact, he likely would have been a No. 1 receiver on half of the NFL rosters last season.”
The broader takeaway is that Ohio State’s offense is still being graded through two different lenses. Smith is being valued on impact and production and the market is right to put him at the top.
Sayin, meanwhile, is being weighed against name value, projection and the glamour attached to other quarterbacks. Manning benefits from the Texas brand, the Manning surname and the built-in rush threat. Sayin benefits from the better passing line. On pure 2025 quarterback play, the Buckeye has the stronger argument.
Ohio State’s $2.4 Million QB Disrespected in Latest Rankings