Ohio State opened spring practice on Tuesday, which brought the first football action since the Cotton Bowl loss. Reporters got to watch the first hour of practice and speak to coach Ryan Day.

Here’s what we learned from Day 1 of spring ball, which will culminate in a scrimmage inside Ohio Stadium on April 18.

Who is missing from practice?

There were a few notable players who were doing limited work: linebacker Riley Pettijohn, tight end Bennett Christian and running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West.

All of them were dressed but didn’t do any contact work or anything with the ball in their hands. Day said all four will miss spring workouts. Jackson and West had previously confirmed shoulder surgeries, but Day did not specify injuries for Pettijohn and Christian.

Why Day is hiring NFL coordinators

Bringing in former NFL coaches to be college coordinators is not a foreign concept. Georgia did it with Todd Monken, Eric Bieniemy left the NFL to land at UCLA for a year and Michigan had Wink Martindale, among others.

But Day decided that he was going to have not just NFL coaches at each coordinator spot, but former head coaches. Arthur Smith, who was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23, joined the staff as offensive coordinator this winter alongside defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the former Detroit Lions head coach.

Day, who stopped calling offensive plays in 2024, wanted to make these moves because of how college football has changed. Not only is there no limit to on-field coaches, but with NIL and revenue sharing, Day’s responsibilities are broken up so much more than they were just a few years ago.

He learned in 2024 that having a coach with experience like Chip Kelly at offensive coordinator allowed him to divvy up his responsibilities elsewhere. He did the same last season when he hired Patricia on defense. When he was looking for another offensive coordinator to replace Brian Hartline, he followed the Kelly/Patricia playbook.

“This allows me an opportunity to kind of step away and really dive into everything else and just be more present in the building with the players, the staff and certainly with the NIL stuff and raising money,” Day said. “It’s a different mindset.”

Not only is bringing in two NFL coordinators a substantial financial responsibility —  Patricia’s contract was set at $2.5 million last year, though Smith’s and Patricia’s updated contracts haven’t been released this year — but they also signify a change in how Ohio State is doing things from a staff-building perspective. Although there’s no limit on on-field coaches, Ohio State can send only 10 on the road to recruit. Smith will not be one of them.

Inside the building, the presence of Smith and Patricia gives Day peace of mind.

“I think the management of their staff on their side of the ball is critically important,” Day said. “It’s not the NFL, but it’s pretty close. The hash marks are different, the guys are a little bit different, but there’s a lot of things that carry over. That’s been good.”

What’s the offensive line look like?

In the first team period, Ohio State came out with the same starting offensive line as the Cotton Bowl: Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels at tackle, Luke Montgomery and Gabe VanSickle at guard and Carson Hinzman at center.

That wasn’t a major surprise, but it’s worth noting that Day said there will be many players who cross-train at multiple positions. Siereveld is not one of those players at this point.

“Austin will mostly be at tackle, although we’ve seen him play guard before,” Day said.

Day added this is the deepest offensive line the Buckeyes have had in terms of people who are ready to play, though Josh Padilla will miss a portion of spring practice, Day said. Padilla was often considered a backup center but is cross-training at guard.

The Buckeyes will likely continue to move pieces around, especially once they move outdoors.

Buckeyes have athletic linebackers

The first person you notice when you look at the linebacking corps is the new No. 20. There have been some good No. 20s at Ohio State. Arvell Reese wore it at one point, and so did Sonny Styles and Riley Pettijohn.

This time it’s five-star freshman Cincere Johnson, and physically he looks like he could be an upperclassman. He’s listed at 6 feet 3 and 228 pounds — and he’s every bit of that at first glance — and he also seems to move well in space. He got beat for a touchdown in red zone passing, but it’s hard to watch him and not be impressed right away. He’ll find his way on the field early in his career and I think be a fan favorite.

The linebackers look like a versatile group, even with Pettijohn sidelined and Reese and Styles set to be first-round draft picks next month.

Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro made a few plays in coverage in the red zone periods, and Payton Pierce looks ready to lead this group as the returnee with the most playing time under his belt at Ohio State.

Losing two starters who will likely be early draft picks isn’t an easy thing to bounce back from, but this group should be able to do a lot of things that Patricia wants. It’s unfortunate that Pettijohn — a lead breakout player candidate — won’t get much time this spring, but a new-look group can still show off its potential.

Early quarterback impressions

Nothing has changed since the end of the transfer portal window: Julian Sayin returns as the starter with Tavien St. Clair taking backup reps and Maryland transfer Justyn Martin in the third spot.

Sayin, listed at 6-1, 208 pounds, looks bigger than he did at this time last year, even if listed at the same weight. Another full year with strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti is helping him.

It was hard to make a real judgment on his play on the first day, but he did throw a nice touchdown to Nate Roberts in the red zone period we observed.

Is running back a spring concern?

The Buckeyes are young at running back, especially with Jackson and West sidelined this spring.

They have two true freshmen taking reps right now in Legend Bey, who played quarterback in high school, and Favour Akih, plus redshirt freshman Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and redshirt senior Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson.

Bey, who Ohio State hopes to be able to use at receiver and running back, is listed at 177 pounds, but he moves well with and without the ball.

Ja’Kobi Jackson was also impressive. He’s entering his final year of eligibility, so it’s not rare to see a player built like him at his age, but his 217 pound-frame is exactly what you’re looking for from a between-the-tackles back.

The Buckeyes need somebody to step up with Jackson and West recovering. Day said the first day wasn’t great and that if he had to pick a position he’s concerned with it would be running back.

“That’s a young group right there, so they got to really step up,” Day said. “The first day, it was a little rough.”

A new cast of WRs around Smith

Two of the three starters are back at receiver, including All-American Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss, but the group as a whole feels new after losing Carnell Tate to the draft on top of transfer portal movement.

“At wideout, we’re as deep there as we have been in a while,” Day said.

Here are a few quick impressions:

• LSU transfer Kyle Parker looks physically ready to play. He’s on the shorter end at 5-10, so he will likely fit in the slot.

• UTSA transfer Devin McCuin, who caught 65 passes last season, was on the field with Inniss and Smith in team and routes-on-air periods. I wouldn’t lock him into the third starting role, but it is notable to see him playing outside this early.

• Freshmen Chris Henry and Jerquaden Guilford look like instant-impact players. Henry, a five-star recruit, is the tallest of the group at 6-5, and though he doesn’t have the weight or muscle mass that Smith has, he moves like an impact receiver should. The same can be said about Guilford, who should also compete for snaps.

• There seems to be more of an emphasis on playmaking. Last year, big plays through the air typically came on deep balls. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ohio State breaks more tackles and takes more passes the distance after the catch this season.

Roberts impresses in first practice

There was a focus on the tight ends during the red zone periods, and Roberts stood out the most. He ran some good routes against tight coverage and made a few nice contested catches.

It’s going to be interesting to watch Roberts, who is 240 pounds, make the adjustment from last year’s fullback role to this year’s go-to tight end. This position is the reason Ohio State prioritized him the way it did out of high school, and now he’ll get a chance to showcase why he’s the guy there.