Mike Vrabel on Arthur Smith; Brian Hartline's draft legacy; Alabama teammates on new Buckeyes : NFL Combine notes

Ohio State nuggets from Indianapolis

At the NFL Combine on Wedneday, New England coach Mike Vrabel talked about his old offensive coordinator in Tennessee, Arthur Smith, who was hired by Ohio State this offseason. (Photo by Doug Lesmerises)

INDIANAPOLIS — Mike Vrabel is ready to fire off some tweets if Ohio State’s offense isn’t humming this fall.

“I guess we have somebody to complain to if they don’t score 50 points per game,” Vrabel, the former Buckeye and current head coach of the New England Patriots, joked on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine when asked about his former offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, joining Ryan Day’s coaching staff this offseason.

Smith was the Tennessee Titans’ play-caller for two seasons under Vrabel from 2019-20. The two have remained close as Smith’s success as the coordinator in Tennessee landed him a head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons, where he worked for three seasons until he was fired in 2023. Smith was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons.

“Arthur is a friend, so I talk to him often. I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a coach,” Vrabel said. “I’m excited for him to be in Columbus. That place means a lot to me. Having gone there and lived there, I’ll support him.”

Smith is returning to college coaching for the first time since he was a defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010. It will be unfamiliar territory, something Vrabel experienced in 2011 when he broke into coaching as Ohio State’s linebackers coach under interim head coach Luke Fickell in 2011.

“My first job was at Ohio State, and I didn’t know anything, so I’m certainly not gonna give him any advice,” Vrabel said of Smith. “I think what he does is gonna be plenty. That’s about putting the players first, making connections with them, and doing what the players do best.”

When Smith was in Tennessee, the Titans had the best rushing offense in the NFL for two seasons, headlined by future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry. Day hired Smith, in part, to revamp Ohio State’s rushing attack, which was average for most of last season, even as freshman running back Bo Jackson rushed for 1,000 yards.

Smith’s run game expertise has been his calling card, and Vrabel believes Smith will bring that element to Columbus.

“He’s got a physicality to him, a toughness to him that he wants to put onto the football field,” Vrabel said. “He’s creative enough, and he’s worked with a number of different players, so they enjoy some of the wrinkles that he has. He has some core concepts that he enjoys, and he’s always been an aggressive playcaller.”

Last and lasting Hartline draft effect: NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had to catch himself, making it clear that he doesn’t have a personal relationship with former Ohio State receivers coach Brian Hartline. Because Jeremiah realized his praise was making it sound like he might be trying to say nice things about a friend.

Jeremiah on Wednesday said he had only talked to Hartline a few times. But asked about Ohio State’s development of NFL receivers during an interview session at the combine, Jeremiah was clear.

“From a development standpoint, they are so far ahead of everybody else that’s coming from these other places. The guy has just been exceptional,” Jeremiah said.

Carnell Tate will become the 10th receiver coached by Hartline at Ohio State to be drafted into the NFL. Hartline ended his eight-year run coaching the OSU receivers when he took the head coaching job at South Florida. Jeremiah Smith will add to the total next year, when he’ll become the 11th Hartline protege to be picked and the eighth to go in the first round. For first-rounders, that’s Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon-Smith Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Tate, Smith and Jameson Williams, who played for Hartline but transferred to Alabama before going in the first round.

Still, that final count should be eight years, eight first-rounders.

“Polished, professional, they’ve all been really smart,” Jeremiah said of OSU receiver draft prospects. “I think a lot of times, 5-star kids, and it’s like, oh, Brian Hartline is an elite recruiter. … But he’s developed these guys. He’s coached these guys. He’s instilled in them a professionalism, a work ethic.

“You talk to the (NFL) coaches that have all these players that have come out of there, it’s hard to see those guys not being successful for how they’ve been trained.”

Jeremiah was asked specifically about Hartline, which led to the praise. And it’s not anything that OSU fans don’t know or haven’t heard before. As much as Ohio State may miss Hartline, the NFL Draft may miss his receiver production more.

What the Bama duo brings to Ohio State: Tim Keenan flashed a quick smile when he heard the names James Smith and Qua Russaw on Wednesday.

Keenan, a product of Birmingham, Ala., was teammates with Smith and Russaw for three seasons at Alabama. Smith and Russaw, who are from about 90 miles south of Birmingham in Montgomery, transferred to Ohio State this offseason.

“James and Quay, that’s that Montgomery country strong,” Keenan said.

Smith, a defensive tackle, and Russaw, an outside linebacker/defensive end, were high school teammates in the same 2023 recruiting class who went to Alabama and now to Ohio State together.

‘They’re a package deal, so to speak, and they feed off each other’s energy,” former Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson, who’s from Mobile, said.

Lawson got to watch Smith and Russaw from the second-level of Alabama’s defense over the past couple of seasons. Both players showed flashes for the Crimson Tide, but arguably didn’t quite live up to their billing as a former five-star prospect, in the case of Smith, and a borderline five-star prospect, which is what Russaw was coming out.

With a change of scenery, Lawson thinks both could take steps forward in Columbus.

“Those are two guys who are willing to go in there and compete,” Lawson said. “There’s a great program at Ohio State, and I’m sure they’ll thrive.”

Smith logged 800 snaps at tackle for Alabama, and Keenan was next to him for many of those snaps.

“That’s like my little bro,” Keenan said. “I loved playing with James. His athletic ability, he’ll do some freaky stuff with his wiggle and his pass-rush moves. I enjoyed playing next to him.”