When the news dropped that Ryan Day and Ohio State were bringing in Arthur Smith to replace Brian Hartline as offensive coordinator, people were fired up. It followed the Matt Patricia model of hiring a former NFL coach to help bring even more success to the Buckeyes. And it goes without saying, but stud quarterback Julian Sayin is going to benefit from the move in a major way.
The changes in Columbus have already arrived too, as it looks like Smith is going to give Sayin the opportunity to take more charge of the offense, while also leaving some of the big-time decisions to the QB. How so? While on The Bill and Doug Show, Sayin revealed that Smith is going to be giving him more freedom at the line of scrimmage, with the QB being able to check into a different play if he thinks it will be best. That's exactly the kind of trust any signal-caller would love to have from his OC:
Julian Sayin on the Bill and Doug show said he's going to have more freedom at the line of scrimmage this year. He will have multiple plays to be able to check into at the line this year.
— JBook. (@JBook_37) July 29, 2026
Ohio State giving Julian Sayin more freedom at the line could be huge for 2026
Throughout the offseason, it feels like so much of the buzz at quarterback is surrounding CJ Carr, Dante Moore, and Darian Mensah. For a lot of people leaving Sayin out of the conversation, perhaps they've forgotten that the former 5-star prospect was a Heisman finalist last season. Oh, and he's also the only Heisman finalist who isn't in the NFL this year (well, other than Diego Pavia, who just got cut by the Baltimore Ravens).
The hype for Sayin should be way higher than it is right now, especially with such a strong offensive mind like Smith's getting ready to take him under his wing. Smith really made a name for himself as offensive coordinator of the Titans, which led to the Falcons ultimately hiring him as head coach. While things didn't go to plan for him there, he also had experience leading the offense for the Steelers in 2024-25.
Now, he has made the move to Columbus, bringing all of his NFL experience with him, which is exactly what happened with Patricia too. It wasn't that long ago that some Ohio State fans were calling for Day to be fired for hiring Patricia to replace Jim Knowles, who left for Penn State at the time. Those same people looked silly, as the Ohio State defense was sensational under Patricia's direction.
Can we expect more of the same from Smith, especially since he has a Heisman contender at his disposal to run his offense? We certainly hope so. Last fall, Sayin tossed for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns, to eight interceptions. He was without question one of the best QBs in the country, and Sayin is fired up to post another big year with the Big Ten powerhouse.
Earlier this offseason, it was revealed that some coaches and players outside of Columbus think Sayin doesn't play with enough heart, which is ridiculous. He'll silence those haters this season and be ready to help Ohio State get back to the CFP and push for another natty. Sayin having more freedom to make the right audibles/reads could help boost his draft stock too, as scouts will be watching him from start to finish in 2026.
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