Updated March 9, 2026, 7:44 a.m. ET
Two months after Ohio State suffered an early exit within the College Football Playoff, the Buckeyes open spring practice.
The Buckeyes started the offseason upgrading the workers with new coordinators on offense and particular groups and choosing up practically 20 gamers by means of the switch portal, including a brand new combine to the roster.
With a brand new make-up, listed below are three of the extra urgent questions for the beginning of practices on March 10:
What is Arthur Smith’s early affect for Ohio State?
The Buckeyes made their largest offseason splash with the hiring of Smith as offensive coordinator. An skilled play-caller who spent the previous two seasons in the identical function with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s anticipated to serve as a type of head coach of the offense within the mould of Matt Patricia on protection.
When Patricia arrived final 12 months, he launched a number of fronts and protection disguises that elevated the Buckeyes’ top-ranked defense regardless of heavy attrition, and OSU hopes that Smith could have an analogous X’s and O’s affect, providing a wanted jolt coming off its second-lowest scoring season of the Ryan Day period.
Smith has a popularity for constructing productive speeding assaults, a background that ought to complement the Buckeyes’ quick-strike passing sport led by quarterback Julian Sayin and vast receiver Jeremiah Smith. While the backfield received’t be at full power this spring as Bo Jackson and Isaiah West get better from shoulder procedures, the approaching weeks will enable them to place in new ideas or different concepts.
After rating twenty ninth within the Football Bowl Subdivision with a median of 4.99 yards per carry in 2024, the Buckeyes dropped to 51st final 12 months at 4.55 yards per carry. Whether it’s with tweaking the bottom sport or different areas, the stretch will supply a window into Smith’s potential imprint.
How does the Ohio State offensive line look?
There is not any scarcity of expertise up entrance as the Buckeyes retained 4 of their 5 beginning offensive linemen, however they might want to start discovering fixes for the problems in go safety that emerged late final 12 months. After permitting simply six sacks over the common season, the Buckeyes surrendered 5 every in losses within the Big Ten championship sport and College Football Playoff, contributing to the early exit within the quarterfinals.
While the Buckeyes didn’t flip to the switch portal for vital personnel upgrades on the place, they might reconfigure the road. Left sort out Austin Siereveld made six begins at left guard in 2024 and could be a candidate to return to the inside. Right sort out Phillip Daniels is another choice to maneuver inside at proper guard, the lone vacant beginning spot after Tegra Tshabola transferred to Kentucky. Either would open up a spot for Ian Moore, a promising redshirt sophomore sort out.
The easiest maneuver is to have Joshua Padilla or Gabe Van Sickle change Tshabola, however Van Sickle’s efficiency within the quarterfinal loss to Miami instructed the Buckeyes may want extra tinkering with the road. Will they shake issues up or stand pat? Or maybe discover one thing in between?
Will breakout candidates emerge on Ohio State’s protection?
There was angst final 12 months when the protection misplaced eight starters to the NFL. But managing this offseason’s exodus may show to be much more difficult. Only two of the eight defensive gamers who had been drafted final 12 months went sooner than the fourth spherical. There ought to be twice as many this April.
The latest mock draft from USA TODAY Sports tasks three Ohio State defensive gamers to be taken within the prime 10 between linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles and security Caleb Downs. Some see defensive sort out Kayden McDonald as a possible late first-round decide as nicely.
Their departures go away the Buckeyes searching for potential difference-makers poised for bigger roles, a gaggle that would embrace returning items or portal pickups.
Defensive linemen Zion Grady and Eddrick Houston and linebackers Payton Pierce and Riley Pettijohn spotlight a core of up-and-coming returners, whereas defensive linemen James Smith and John Walker and safeties Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore lead a bunch of skilled transfers who’re anticipated to have speedy impacts.
Will they flash throughout this offseason section? The Buckeyes want the subsequent wave rising on the depth chart to be disruptive, particularly behind the road of scrimmage. They’re shedding practically two-thirds of their sack manufacturing from 2025.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and observe him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
