Julian Sayins family group chat was blowing up.
A video of Sayin went viral after one of his classmates recorded him introducing himself during the discussion portion of an online sports marketing class in the first week of school. The students had been asked to share their wellness habits. Instead of identifying himself as Ohio States starting quarterback or a Heisman Trophy candidate, Sayin kept it as low-key as possible.
He tried to be a normal college student.
“My name is Julian Sayin, I just prefer Julian,” he began. “My major is sport industry. I wouldnt really say I want to change too much about my physical activity â I feel like I have a pretty good routine, Im pretty active, I play sports. And one interesting thing about me is I love to play golf and I love playing pickleball.”
The video spread quickly across social media, in part because of how casual Julian was, but his family wasnt surprised by it.
“Its very Julian,” his older brother, Aidan Sayin, told me with a chuckle. “Hes not going to give you much detail, but just be humble and to the point. We all had a good laugh.
“The I prefer Julian line was hilarious, but thats just him. We joke that [his humor is] similar to Larry David. We always watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, and say he sort of emulates that same character.”
Julians no-ego personality might be the opposite of what youd expect from someone at the center of the college football universe. He tries to fly under the radar and never tells anybody who he is if they dont already know. Fans loved the video and plenty of them flooded the comment section on the social media post.
“The video itself encapsulates a lot about him,” Aidan said. “Hes not concerned with the spotlight. To be honest, he doesn’t even like it. Whenever we’re out and about in Columbus, he keeps his hat on, his head down, and just wants to get his açaà bowl.”
Julian has been that way for as long as those closest to him can remember. Its part of what makes him so effective on the field.
Hell need to keep that level head as he enters his second season as a starter at Ohio State, where a talent-laden roster is chasing its second national championship in three years. The top-ranked Buckeyes have a challenging schedule ahead with their first major test coming Saturday when they visit Arch Manning and No. 4 Texas in one of the biggest games on the Week 2 slate.
Julian is the baby in a family of high achievers. Hes the starting quarterback on the No. 1 team in the country and is a front-runner to win the Heisman after finishing in fourth place last season. But hes striving to be as accomplished as his three older siblings.
“I think he was always kind of scrappy and trying to follow along,” Sayin’s mom, Karen Brandenburg, told me. “I dont know how to describe it â its kind of like, Dont think youre all that.”
Julians eldest sister, Bailey, played soccer at the University of Chicago before attending the Cambridge School of Art in England. His sister Jocelyn attended the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where she earned a degree in data analytics. After returning to the United States, Jocelyn took an interest in her youngest brothers career, joining him on several college visits to LSU and Ole Miss. Now, alongside their mom, Jocelyn helps manage Julians NIL and marketing deals. She also earned a masters degree in sports management from Ohio State and is pursuing her doctorate.
Aidan played football at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with honors from Wharton. He went on to play for the Columbus Aviators of the UFL and is now considering continuing his football career in Japan or Europe.
When asked whether the household she and her husband, Dan, created while raising their children influenced their ambition, Brandenburg paused for a moment. Shes Type A; Dan is more laid back. Maybe, she thought, it started with Bailey, who from a young age was determined to pl
