Ohio State didn’t waste much time reshuffling things after the season, and the biggest ripple was on offense.
With Brian Hartline heading out to take over at USF, Ryan Day had to make a real decision, not just plug a hole. He went big, bringing in Arthur Smith, and people around Columbus believe that hire could be huge for star QB Julian Sayin.
How Will Arthur Smith Help Ohio State QB Julian Sayin Elevate His Game?
Smith will bring over a ton of NFL wisdom and experience that will benefit Sayin on his development curve, and possibly elevate the offense even more.
On “97.1 The FAN,” a local radio host summed it up pretty well: “If you’re a quarterback with pro aspirations and you want to be coached properly, Arthur Smith is the guy for you.”
“If you are a quarterback with pro aspirations and you want to be coached properly, Arthur Smith is the guy for you.” @971RandI discuss how Ohio State hiring Arthur Smith is a great benefit for Julian Sayin. pic.twitter.com/uoWbEJ9RvD
— 97.1 The Fan (@971thefan) April 11, 2026
That’s kind of the whole bet here. Smith is coming from the NFL, where his entire background is tied to building offenses around quarterbacks. For someone like Sayin, who’s already being talked about as the next guy, that’s a pretty ideal setup.
And Smith isn’t walking into a broken offense; he’s inheriting one that was already rolling. Ohio State had the third-best offense in the country last season, according to the Buckeyes’ 90.3 grade in PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact metric. They averaged 33.4 points per game, so it’s not like this unit needs a complete overhaul.
This job will be more about trying to maintain that level of play and maybe tweaking things just enough to try to get even more out of this group.
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That’s where Smith’s experience could come in handy. He’s been through NFL pressure, game-planning at the highest level, and dealing with expectations. Columbus won’t feel new to him in that sense. Smith was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator last season, and he previously had stints as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach and Tennessee Titans’ OC among others.
It also doesn’t hurt that Sayin isn’t being asked to carry things alone.
Jeremiah Smith is still the headliner, and his production has matched the immense hype. He’s graded inside the top-5 in PFSN’s CFB WR Impact metric in each of the last two seasons and already has real Heisman buzz to his name.
Bo Jackson adds another option in the backfield, and five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. gives them another high-end piece to work with. For what it’s worth, Sayin talked up the Smith hire last month.
“Coach Smith has been great. He’s brought a lot of knowledge and experience. Just learning from him and seeing how he sees the game has been really valuable…” Sayin said. “There are some differences, but a lot of it is just learning how he wants things done and how he sees certain concepts. It’s been good for us. Just executing the offense the way it’s supposed to be run. When everyone is on the same page, it can be really good.”
This whole thing really comes down to one idea: can Smith take a very good offense and make it feel a little more pro-ready? That’s clearly part of the vision.
If Smith can help Sayin maximize his full potential, it’s going to pay dividends for this offense and this hire is going to look like a steal, regardless of the $3.5 million price tag attached to Smith’s name.
