The Ohio State football team decided to hire Arthur Smith as its offensive coordinator. It took a while for the Buckeyes to decide who they wanted to hire, and they zeroed in on Smith in recent days. He was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers for the last two seasons.
Before that, Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. His experience in the NFL is plentiful, but his collegiate experience is pretty bare. He hasn't coached in college since 2011, when he was a defensive intern. Ryan Day still believes that he can help the team.
While some fans are still unsure about the hire, one former player believes the Ohio State Buckeyes have themselves a strong OC heading into 2026. Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry believes that this is a good hire for the Buckeyes.
Former Ohio State linebacker Joshua Perry loves the hiring of Arthur Smith
While speaking on Bishop & Friends on 97.1 the Fan, Perry explained why he liked the hiring of Smith for Day and the Buckeyes.
"This is a guy who is known for aggressive run schemes and is known for great play-action passing. And I think it complements what Ryan Day wants to do in his own philosophy, where he's great in the pass game."
Perry believes that there will be an improvement in the run game, which is something Day doesn't always emphasize in the offense. He doesn't believe that will come at the expense of the pass game, which has been the backbone of the Buckeyes for the last five years or so.
Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are the two best offensive players Ohio State will have next season. Smith has to make sure he keeps those guys engaged in the offense. They both should be better than they were this past year, especially Sayin. Smith is already a dangerous player.
At least Smith has called plays before, which is not something Hartline had experience with prior to this past season.