In the high-stakes world of college football, where the Transfer Portal has become as competitive as the game itself, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is proving that loyalty still has a place in the sport.

The California native exploded onto the scene in his first season as the Buckeyes' starter in 2025, throwing for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. He led Ohio State to a perfect 12-0 regular season and a College Football Playoff appearance. Now, with his 2026 campaign on the horizon, Sayin is already being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy favorite.

Given the current landscape—where NIL deals and transfer offers can make or break a player's decision—you might expect Sayin's phone to be ringing off the hook with teams trying to lure him away. But in a recent appearance on The Triple Option Podcast, the star quarterback revealed a surprising truth: no one reached out to him personally.

"They weren't calling me," Sayin said. "Maybe they were calling other people, but they weren't calling me personally. Everybody knew I was a Buckeye."

That kind of clarity is rare in today's game, especially when compared to other high-profile quarterbacks. Take Alabama's Ty Simpson, for example. He recently disclosed that he received a staggering $6.5 million offer from Miami to enter the Transfer Portal—an offer that nearly changed his career path. Simpson ultimately turned it down, was selected 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and explained his decision on the See Ball Get Ball Podcast.

"I think the last offer was definitely one that I just had to sit down and consider, because it would've been life-changing money," Simpson said. "It would've made me the highest-paid player in college. But it really came down to how I wanted to be remembered."

For Ohio State, the stakes couldn't be higher in 2026. The Buckeyes finished last season undefeated in the regular season but fell to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship and to Miami in the Cotton Bowl Classic. With Sayin locked in and a projected top-three NFL draft pick on the roster, the pressure is on to turn that near-perfect season into a championship run.

And if the silence from other teams is any indication, Sayin's commitment to Columbus is exactly where he belongs.