COLUMBUS – Even in years when there is no competition for the starting quarterback’s job Ohio State’s quarterbacks are going to be one of the big stories in OSU’s annual spring football game.

This year, Julian Sayin is solidly entrenched as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback and Tavien St. Clair’s position as OSU’s No.2 quarterback is written in ink, not in pencil.

But Sayin and St. Clair were among the most watched players during Ohio State’s spring game on Saturday and among the most analyzed after that game, which ended with the defense outscoring the offense 35-26.

Sayin was being watched closely to see if he had added the ability to run the ball if needed, something head coach Ryan Day had said he needed to add to his game after Indiana and Miami each sacked him five times in Ohio State’s only losses last season.

St. Clair’s performance was scrutinized because, after arriving as one of the top quarterback recruits in the 2025 recruiting class last season, he threw only two passes all year.

The verdict on both of them was positive. Sayin showed he has taken some steps in the desired direction and St. Clair’s displayed a nice touch on deep completions of 40 yards and 34 yards to highly regarded freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.

Sayin’s most notable scramble came in a fourth-and-goal situation at the 4-yard line. After being forced out of the pocket he took off running and eventually stepped into the end zone.

The defense was not allowed to him but Sayin said he won’t back off this season when defenses are allowed to hit him.

“There are moments as a quarterback when you have to drop your shoulder and go get the touchdown or the first down for the the team and that’s part of being a leader and being a tough leader,” he said.

Day said, “It has been an emphasis point. You can see he’s aware of that and is looking to do some of that. It was good to see him move around. He has moved well this spring but certainly it’s different when you’re live (full contact). That’s going to continue to be the challenge for him to work on all summer – pocket presence and making plays with his legs.”

He evaluated St. Clair’s performance this way: “Playing quarterback at Ohio State is not easy. He’s battling every day. I think you can see the talent for sure. He threw some really nice balls down the field and then missed some as well.

“He’s got to learn from those things and continue to grow every day with a good attitude. I think we all can see the talent. That’s why he was recruited here. He has to continue to grind and learn the offense at a high level because he’s going to be an important part of this team.”

Another player who was closely watched by the announced crowd of 40,240 at Ohio Stadium on Saturday was kicker Connor Hawkins, a recent transfer from Baylor who many OSU fans hope will give the Buckeyes a more consistent long distance threat on field goals.

Hawkins made a 46-yard kick early in the game but later missed from 43 yards.

Day said, “We’ll look at the film and it will be another piece of the evaluation going into the summer. I think we’re still a work in progress in all three phases (offense, defense, special teams). Each guy is in a race to get better. We’re off to a good, solid start but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”