Ohio State coach Ryan Day left preseason training camp encouraged by the Buckeyes’ progress under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
“He’s been a great communicator, a good leader, confident with the guys,” Day said.
The hiring of Smith was among the Buckeyes’ biggest offseason moves, adding a second former NFL head coach to the staff alongside defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Smith, who spent the last 15 years in the NFL, including three seasons as coach of the Atlanta Falcons, replaced Brian Hartline, who left to take the head-coaching job at South Florida in January.
His impact figures to be significant as Day further delegates primary play-calling responsibilities for the offense, a shift that began in 2024 with Chip Kelly and continued
last season with Hartline.
“It’s been great,” Day said. “He brings a great background of offensive football to the table. He’s been able to morph a lot of the things we’ve done with some of the things he’s done in the past.”
Smith built a reputation in the NFL for establishing some of the league’s best running games. He was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2020 when Derrick Henry rushed for more than 2,000 yards and complemented his prolific back with play-action passing.
In seven seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach, Smith saw seven running backs finish with at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The track record pairs with Day’s passing game pedigree.
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Day’s praise of Smith followed similarly positive reviews from players earlier in preseason camp.
“There’s just plays off plays off plays,” said Bennett Christian, a fifth-year tight end. “We’ll set you up one way, then come back, and it’ll look the same, but it’s a different play.”
Christian said he approached middle linebacker Payton Pierce at one point for his perspective on their new looks.
It only left him encouraged as Pierce acknowledged they would present confusion to defenses.
“He’s like, man, ‘I don’t know how defenses are going to stop it,’” Christian said. “It’s really exciting to know one of our middle linebackers sees it and says that. I think we’re going to be really good.”
But running back Isaiah West said the concepts haven’t been too complicated for the offense, noting Smith has emphasized “being brilliant in the basics.”
“He's real big on just simplifying stuff,” West said, “the way that we read, the way that we read wide zone, the way that we read tight zone. He's real big on just making everything simple, making sure that we just get downhill.”
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It echoed Ohio State's approach on the other side of the ball last year. While Patricia brought a deep NFL background, his scheme streamlined the assignments for players at the same time it disguised fronts and coverages, leaving offenses with more to sort out before the snap.
The model worked as the Buckeyes had the top-ranked defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision despite heavy roster attrition.
Now Day is eager to see Smith's impact when the Buckeyes open their season against Ball State on Sept. 5.
“Everybody feels like they're good right now,” Day said. “We've got to go put it on the field. Everybody's practicing against each other, there's no wins and losses right now, so we have to recognize that, but I know what I know, and I know what I've seen, and I'm excited to see this thing shake out here in the next couple weeks.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ryan Day encouraged by Arthur Smith's early impact on Ohio State offense
