In the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement, the search for his legendary culture has sent players scattering. When one of his former defensive linemen found similar standards at Ohio State, he couldn’t help but make a move toward Ryan Day’s side.

“It kind of gave me that feeling back when I visited as a freshman with Saban; it kind of felt like that,” Alabama’s former DL James Smith said to the media after the Buckeyes’ fourth spring practice. “I feel like the intensity is different. … Everything is so intentional. Everything is already laid out. They have a new coaching staff at Bama; they’re still trying to learn and stuff. Here it’s already stable, they already know.”

Ryan Day has clearly adopted a Saban-style approach to spring practice. Every drill operates on a strict, minute-by-minute schedule with zero wasted motion. Coaches demand absolute perfection on reps, pulling guys immediately for missed assignments. This is a hallmark of the legendary accountability Nick Saban built in Tuscaloosa.

For Smith, stepping onto the Columbus practice field felt like a trip back in time. The organized chaos and extreme focus instantly mirrored his high school recruiting visits with Saban. It’s a culture built on rigid standards that Alabama perfected for years.

So when Smith says Ohio State feels the same, it shows he respects how the team is working under Ryan Day. What makes players’ confidence much stronger at Ohio State is their defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia. Under him, Ohio State built one of the best defenses in the country, allowing just 8.2 points per game. They also give up just 129 passing yards and 84.5 rushing yards per game.

That success gave Smith a clear picture of how Ryan Day’s team is clearly focusing on winning. Whereas under Kalen DeBoer, the team is still fighting for relevance. Alabama is yet a bit inconsistent, losing games against teams like Florida State, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma. Fans show constant dissatisfaction with the success rate under DeBoer. That takes a toll on players, too.

Smith isn’t the only former Tide standout noticing the similarities. Safety Caleb Downs, who made the jump to Columbus earlier, echoed those exact sentiments. Downs quickly realized that Ryan Day’s staff shared Nick Saban’s obsession with “doing things the right way,” demanding discipline every single snap.

On top of that, he was one reason why Smith agreed to move to Ohio State.

“Caleb Downs is like my brother, so, like, I talk to him almost every day, so it’s like, he’s going to say, like, you know, you know, ‘Oh, I didn’t want you to.’ He, I was just like, you know, he wanted me to come here every day,” Smith said.

Now, with his move, he is all set to take Ohio State to new heights.

James Smith is making major progress with Ohio State