Ohio State takeaways from Day 3 of camp: QB Julian Sayin stands out, Eddrick Houston returns and more

New York Times

4 hours ago

Ohio State finished its third and final day of open practice Saturday, giving fans and media one more look at the 2025 Buckeyes before their season begins on Aug. 31.
Between the defensive line, quarterback battle and some impressive young players, there has been a lot to watch, so here are some of the biggest takeaways I had from the second and third days of camp.
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I thought Lincoln Kienholz was the better quarterback Thursday, but since then, Julian Sayin has been much sharper and had his best day Saturday.
The battle between Sayin, the 2024 five-star prospect, and Kienholz remains close, but the highs for Sayin were much different Saturday. He had a few nice connections to Jeremiah Smith, including one where he looked to be throwing from the right hash to the left side of the field, and Smith made a diving catch.
Sayin had a touchdown throw to Smith in team drills, as well.
Throughout the day, you saw the arm talent that everybody gushed over when Sayin was in high school, but he also has some inconsistencies you'd expect from a player entering his second year of college.
After Sayin's touchdown throw to Smith, he turned and made a bad read, hitting defensive back Bryce West right in the chest. Though West didn't catch the ball, it was a reminder that Sayin, though extremely talented, is still young and figuring things out.
As for Kienholz, I thought he was good Saturday, too.
Overall, I thought that was the best day for both quarterbacks, but there wasn't a play that stood out with a major 'wow' factor, good or bad. Kienholz didn't make any bad decisions that I noticed, which was good, and he is still in this quarterback battle.
This competition is far from over on the third day, and though there seems to be a consensus that Sayin could be the quarterback, the athleticism and consistency that Kienholz brings will keep him in this battle.
Saturday's the last day we'll get to watch the quarterbacks until the opener, and if I had to pick one, I'd lean Sayin, but the QBs' continued improvement is evidence that they are getting more comfortable as camp continues.
I think either quarterback can do the job, but Sayin had a better day Saturday.
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Houston, a 2024 five-star recruit, entered preseason camp as a starter at defensive tackle and was expected to be a big part of the defense this season. The lack of depth at defensive tackle made his injury Thursday afternoon hard to watch.
Ohio State would've struggled to find a replacement for Houston if the injury was long term, but he returned to the practice field Friday and Saturday. He didn't do anything with contact, but moved well despite the knee brace on his right knee.
It doesn't look like Houston will miss extended time in camp, although Ohio State might choose to be a little careful with him as the season opener gets closer.
Speaking of the defensive line, even without Houston, I thought they shone Saturday. The defense won the day, and the defensive line might've been the strongest unit.
Early in the first team period, Caden Curry was extremely disruptive. He had a couple of tackles for a loss and got pressure on the quarterback without hitting him because contact with the quarterback is off limits this summer.
From there, though, a plethora of other names stepped up.
Defensive tackle Jason Moore had a few pass breakups at the line in the last two days, and he spent some time in the rotation in place of Houston with the starters. Tywone Malone also spent some time with the starters Saturday, and I thought it was his best day.
The offensive and defensive line did some one-on-one work Saturday, while the secondary and receivers did seven-on-seven drills. Malone performed well in the one-on-one drills I saw, and he beat a few people with ease. In team drills, he was disruptive against the run game.
Kayden McDonald made more than a handful of plays, and Kenyatta Jackson was making pass rushing look easy. C.J. Hicks had a strong day, as well.
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I don't want this to sound like an indictment of the offensive line because they are mixing and matching a lot of lineups, but the defensive line was getting after it Saturday.
One of the big offseason storylines was the defensive line recruiting and depth, and while the recruiting is a fair criticism of defensive line coach Larry Johnson, he's doing a nice job getting this group ready for the season.
I love how the edge rushers and the defensive tackles are coming along, but there needs to be more when the hitting continues throughout camp. Saturday was a promising showing.
Some fans are concerned about the running back room entering the season, but I don't think there's a lot to be worried about.
Ohio State was never going to replace what Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson brought to the field (over 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns). That's impossible, but this year's running back corps is a talented bunch.
I've been standing firm on the idea that James Peoples is going to be a star once he gets on the field.
On Saturday, he took an outside run about 20 yards, and while the good blocking helped, he never looked hesitant and had a quick burst once he got into the open field. Ohio State's running game is in good hands with Peoples.
West Virginia transfer C.J. Donaldson moves well, and he seems like a guy who will shine when the pads get on and can run through some contact.
Freshman Bo Jackson has been good, and the first look at freshman Anthony 'Turbo' Rogers has been good, too. Rogers fumbled Saturday, but he is extremely fast. It's way too early to expect Rogers to make an impact this season, especially considering Saturday was only his third practice in an Ohio State uniform. When he gets an offseason to bulk up, he's going to be a problem.
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This is a young room, but the talent is obvious.
One look at Ethan Onianwa, and you see another first-round offensive line talent.
He's slimmed down, losing 22 pounds this offseason, and moves well but still has the physical build to dominate opponents. There's no doubt he'll be drafted next year, but with a good year, the Buckeyes could see tackles drafted in the first round in back-to-back years.
There will be a competition at left tackle once Onianwa leaves, but Carter Lowe, a four-star prospect from Toledo, looks the part. He entered camp at 6-feet-6 and 313 pounds, and if he continues to develop technically, he could cause headaches for opponents with his size and footwork.
Ohio State has been searching for answers on the offensive line since Paris Johnson, Luke Wypler and Dawand Jones went to the NFL in 2022. But this is the first time Ohio State has elite talent at the top of the depth chart, and there's some promising depth working its way up as well.
We don't know what Ohio State's offense will be just yet, at least from a tendency standpoint. Still, we got a good glimpse of teamwork the last three days, and the tight ends are going to be heavily involved in whatever it looks like.
Ohio State has four tight ends that could play heavy minutes when the season begins, and we saw all of them make plays over the last three days.
Purdue transfer Max Klare is the most obvious one, but Will Kacmarek has been good, as have Jelani Thurman and Bennett Christian.
On Saturday, Ohio State spent time working on tight end screens, but coaches also sent them out on routes to compete with the secondary. Sayin made a nice throw on the sideline to Thurman, who ran a good route and got open in a tight window between the defensive backs.
Between check downs, screens or throwing downfield to them, this is a loaded tight end room, and it seems evident that Ohio State will get them the ball early and often this season.
(Top photo of Julian Sayin: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)