By Cameron Teague Robinson and Dianna Russini
Ohio State has its subsequent offensive coordinator in former Steelers coordinator Arthur Smith, an NFL supply instructed The Athletic.
Smith, who was the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator from 2024-25, is anticipated take over an Ohio State offense that returns the very best receiver within the nation in Jeremiah Smith and a Heisman finalist quarterback in Julian Sayin.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day was anticipated to look outdoors of this system after selling Brian Hartline final season. However as Hartline left, and Ohio State misplaced its ultimate two video games of the season to Miami and Indiana, it turned clear that Day wanted an skilled play caller to guide the offense.
That’s what Smith is, even when a few of his leads to the NFL have been a combined bag. He known as performs in Pittsburgh, as the top coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23, in addition to in Tennessee because the Titans’ offensive coordinator from 2019-20. Smith had conversations with the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans, the league supply stated, however finally determined to take the OC job with the Buckeyes.
NEWS: Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is anticipated to develop into the following offensive coordinator at Ohio State, per supply. pic.twitter.com/i2WmevAPvN
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 24, 2026
He joins Ohio State because the crew’s eleventh assistant, which suggests, except Day shuffles across the workers, the offensive coordinator won’t go on the highway to recruit. Smith’s job shall be to name performs and lead the offensive workers, one thing he has loads of expertise with, given his years of coordinator and head-coaching expertise.
The query relating to Smith is whether or not he is an efficient sufficient play caller to boost the ceiling of an elite offense. The final time Smith led an offense that completed within the prime half of the NFL in whole offense was with Tennessee in 2020, when the Titans completed third in yards per recreation and fourth in factors per recreation.
Since then, his greatest offensive end was the 2023 Falcons, who completed seventeenth in whole offense however simply twenty sixth in factors per recreation.
Ohio State returns an offense that ought to be ok to keep away from an enormous drop-off. Together with Smith and Sayin, the Buckeyes deliver again 4 beginning offensive linemen, their beginning working again and beginning slot receiver Brandon Inniss.
There’s a wealth of expertise that has been formed by Day’s offensive scheme since he took over this system in 2019. Smith gained’t be requested to reinvent the wheel, however the perception is that Day will permit Smith to be the top coach of the offense, permitting Day to drift round and be the CEO of this system.
In reaching that objective, Day now has two former NFL coordinators on his workers in Smith and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
