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.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what we learned from Day 1 of spring ball, which will culminate in a scrimmage inside Ohio Stadium on April 18.<\/p>\n
Who is missing from practice?<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
All of them were dressed but didn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Why Day is hiring NFL coordinators<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s responsibilities are broken up so much more than they were just a few years ago.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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,\u201d Day said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only is bringing in two NFL coordinators a substantial financial responsibility \u2014\u00a0 Patricia\u2019s contract was set at $2.5 million last year, though Smith\u2019s and Patricia\u2019s updated contracts haven\u2019t been released this year \u2014 but they also signify a change in how Ohio State is doing things from a staff-building perspective. Although there\u2019s no limit on on-field coaches, Ohio State can send only 10 on the road to recruit. Smith will not be one of them.<\/p>\n
Inside the building, the presence of Smith and Patricia gives Day peace of mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the management of their staff on their side of the ball is critically important,\u201d Day said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the NFL, but it\u2019s pretty close. The hash marks are different, the guys are a little bit different, but there\u2019s a lot of things that carry over. That\u2019s been good.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the offensive line look like?<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That wasn\u2019t a major surprise, but it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cAustin will mostly be at tackle, although we\u2019ve seen him play guard before,\u201d Day said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Buckeyes will likely continue to move pieces around, especially once they move outdoors.<\/p>\n
Buckeyes have athletic linebackers<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This time it\u2019s five-star freshman Cincere Johnson, and physically he looks like he could be an upperclassman. He\u2019s listed at 6 feet 3 and 228 pounds \u2014 and he\u2019s every bit of that at first glance \u2014 and he also seems to move well in space. He got beat for a touchdown in red zone passing, but it\u2019s hard to watch him and not be impressed right away. He\u2019ll find his way on the field early in his career and I think be a fan favorite.<\/p>\n
The linebackers look like a versatile group, even with Pettijohn sidelined and Reese and Styles set to be first-round draft picks next month.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n