How New Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith Can Be NIL Weapon for Buckeyes

Ohio State fans everywhere patiently awaited to see how the Buckeyes would replace Brian Hartline, who departed the program to become the new head coach of USF.

On Saturday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Ohio State was hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. Smith, who was also the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-2023 spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh.

While Pittsburgh’s offense mostly underwhelmed with Smith calling the plays, Ohio State presents an opportunity for the 43-year-old to coordinate offensive game plans with Ryan Day, who called Ohio State’s offensive plays during the team’s 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl.

Smith will likely be excited to get his hands on Heisman trophy finalist quarterback Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, who is widely expected to be a top five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

How Smith can be a game changer for NIL at Ohio State

However, Smith’s connections can help make him a NIL weapon at Ohio State.

Smith’s late father, Frederick W. Smith, was the founder and chairman of FedEx and held an estimated net worth of over $5 billion. He passed away in June.

While it’s wildly unfair to suggest that the Buckeyes hired Smith because of his late father’s wealth, it certainly will not hurt Ohio State to have that close of connections with one of the richest men in the country's history.

Ohio State has a robust NIL program already. It’s partly how the team has been able to stockpile talent like Smith and Sayin. But this is an ecosystem that isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s continuing to expand with college football player salaries increasing rapidly.

When the Buckeyes lost Hartline, it was plausible to be worried about how recruiting would be impacted. The 39-year-old had been regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country and had landed notable receivers including Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate.

But after Hartline departed, Ohio State was able to retain five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. who will now be coached by Smith, a coordinator with 15 years of experience in the NFL.

Even if old school recruiting tactics take a dip with Harline’s departure, this maneuver could allow the Buckeyes to take an advanced approach to college football recruiting. This offseason, Day preferred chasing older, experienced players in the transfer portal instead of high school.

This is a strategy that was deployed by the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes, the two teams that met in the national title game and Ohio State’s two final losses of the season.

The college football landscape is changing quickly, and Ohio State’s latest hire could help the Buckeyes continue to evolve.