COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before dawn broke in California during the pandemic, Julian Sayin and his older brother Aidan were already at Pine Park in downtown Carlsbad, striving for the ideal throw with an acai bowl at stake.
After practicing mechanics, dropbacks, and movement throws with passing coach Jose Mohler at the park located about 35 miles north of San Diego, the true competition commenced — their own rendition of quarterback HORSE. Their friends, twins Jayven and Kiran Sandhu, ran routes while the Sayin brothers dialed in their shots, rating each other’s 10 throws. The loser had to pick up the bill at the smoothie shop nearby before everyone returned home for online high school.
«We judged pretty harshly,» Aidan, who later became a record-setting quarterback at Penn, recounted. «Anything that wasn’t perfect wasn’t even worth a B-plus. You had to be exceptionally precise.»
Ohio State’s starting quarterback.
«Having my brother around as a mentor and then someone to compete against every day was incredible,» Julian said. «I was always aiming to outdo him, so going to quarterback workouts together was a blast — and we both matured significantly as passers during that period.»
Having led the top-ranked Buckeyes to an unblemished regular season, Julian is on the verge of eclipsing the FBS single-season completion percentage record. As he heads into Saturday’s Big Ten championship matchup against No. 2 Indiana, he boasts a completion rate of 78.9% — set to break the previous 77.5% record held by Bo Nix two years ago.
After throwing three touchdowns against Michigan last Saturday, Julian tops the nation with a QBR of 91.4. If he outperforms Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, another Heisman contender, Julian could make history as Ohio State’s first Heisman winner since Troy Smith in 2006.
«He has great vision. The release is fast. The players trust him,» said Buckeyes coach Ryan Day. «He possesses a unique talent for delivering the ball accurately and on time.»
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Julian admits that Aidan is the only person who can truly get under his skin, a dynamic Aidan finds amusing. He would knock the ball out of Julian’s hands during dropbacks or deflect any imperfect pass. Sometimes, Julian would retaliate by hurling a throw at Aidan’s leg.
«Things could heat up at times,» noted Kiran Sandhu, now a student at Illinois.
But Julian never backed off.
«I was always captivated by Julian’s ‘OK, watch this’ attitude,» Mohler remarked. «‘Hey, make sure to record this because of what I’m about to do now.’ … He may seem calm, but when it’s about placing the ball precisely, that guy is bursting with confidence.»
After finishing online classes, the brothers would chill with the Sandhus and other friends at a hidden spot on Tamarack Beach off Cherry Avenue, just a half mile from their home, where they swam, played spike ball, and rode boogie boards. On the way back, they often stopped by In-N-Out Burger or their favorite local burrito shop. Later at night, they resumed their rivalry, battling in video game football. Perched on a toy chest side by side, Aidan would nudge Julian’s shoulder every time he made a significant play. Julian confessed there was a moment he got so angry he shoved Aidan into a dresser, leaving a cut on his leg.
«We had such a great time,» Aidan said. «We weren’t sure if a season would happen, but we made the most of that period — we didn’t just sit idle. … Both of us improved immensely during that time, training together daily.»
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Come winter, the brothers returned to in-person learning. However, they continued their early morning sessions at Pine Park. By this point, their throws rarely missed the target. If they remained level after 10 passes, they would alternate throwing fade routes until a winner emerged.
«They could put the ball wherever they desired,» Mohler said. «That entire year was incredibly influential for both of them.»
In spring, Carlsbad participated in a shortened five-game season, crushing all five opponents. Aidan played the first halves, while Julian took over in the second.
«Julian could have easily been our starter back then,» remarked Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal. «But his brother was an outstanding player too.»
Aidan moved on to Penn, where he started four seasons and claimed the school’s career completions record. He was on track to achieve more records but suffered a season-ending elbow injury after taking a hit while attempting a throw during his senior year’s sixth game.
As a high school sophomore, Julian stepped in as the starter at Carlsbad — and soon became the nation’s top quarterback recruit.
«His innate ability is extraordinary, but his mechanics were consistently excellent,» MacNeal, who has sent 18 quarterbacks to play at the collegiate level, noted. «With quarterbacks, you encounter various arm angles, and you need to layer throws, but can you place the ball where you want it? On critical downs, when a completion is a must, can you hit the mark? Julian has been capable of that since I first saw him as a freshman. He’s adept at identifying his target, processing quickly — and he typically doesn’t miss.»
Will Howard learned this firsthand when Julian arrived at Ohio State. Howard transferred in after four years as Kansas State’s starting quarterback, just two weeks before Julian joined him from Alabama following coach Nick Saban’s departure.
«I had never witnessed a ball come out of someone’s hand so fluidly and effortlessly,» Howard said. «I thought, ‘Wow, is this kid going to give me a challenge here?’ He was throwing the s— out of the ball.»
Pittsburgh Steelers, quickly realized his record wouldn’t last long.
«I thought, ‘Man, I wanted that for more than one year,'» Howard said. «But Julian is doing an incredible job.»
At the Big House last weekend, Julian threw an interception on his second attempt, giving Michigan an early 6-0 lead.
However, as he often did when up against his brother at Pine Park, Julian quickly recovered in his first snow game. He completed 19 of his next 24 throws for 233 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to a resounding 27-9 victory, breaking their four-game losing streak in the rivalry.
«The way he played from that point on was remarkable to me,» Day expressed.
It was a memorable moment for Aidan as well, who traveled to Ann Arbor with their parents, sister, and Mohler. Julian’s performance brought back memories for Aidan of how his younger brother would always respond during those early Pine Park workouts.
«Extremely resilient,» Aidan said. «He had the mindset of, they got me this time, but that won’t impact the next play. I’m coming right back at them.»
Back in Columbus, Aidan and Mohler waited in Julian’s apartment for his arrival. They revisited portions of the game, analyzing throws, just as they did together five years prior. The next morning, they all went out for breakfast, where Julian celebrated his first victory over Michigan with eggs — and an acai bowl.
