For OSU HC Ryan Day, success during the regular season has come at a cost. After their undefeated run ended against Indiana, a new wave of trouble is brewing. This time, from the coaching carousel. They are already losing Brian Hartline, and now the Razorbacks are looking to open the 2026 season aggressively by targeting the Buckeyes’ assistant offensive line coach Marcus Johnson.

“Arkansas is hiring Ohio State’s Marcus Johnson and Memphis’ Jeff Myers as offensive line coaches, sources tell @CBSSports.” Zenitz reported on X. “Johnson, an ex-NFL offensive lineman, played for new Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield with the Vikings. Has coached a number of standout offensive linemen. Myers was Memphis’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator the last two years.”

Johnson has worked under offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and has played a key role in the Buckeyes’ offensive success this season. His departure would be a significant loss. Johnson played as an offensive lineman under Silverfield for the Minnesota Vikings.

Marcus Johnson’s potential departure would mark the second loss from Ohio State’s offensive staff. Hartline would move to USF after accepting the head coaching position. During his introductory press conference, Hartline spoke about his vision for the program.

“I am honored and humbled for this world-class opportunity,” Hartline said. “I always felt like Florida was my second home.”

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Fortunately for the OSU fans, Hartline won’t jump ship right away. While many fans are critical of the outgoing OC’s role in the loss to Indiana, Day has backed Hartline.

“I’m not going to get into too many details on it all,” said Day in the press conference. “I think Brian is doing everything he possibly can to finish his time here the right way, and I appreciate that. We’re all involved with it, and we’re all doing everything we can to make sure that we put the guys in the right situation to be successful. We’ve got a bunch of guys in that room. And we’ll make sure, as we head into the next few weeks, that we’re on point, we’re doing our part.”

Ohio State remains one of the nation’s top offensive teams, ranking 18th in points per game and 26th in passing yards. But with Hartline juggling two jobs and Johnson doing the same with Arkansas, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes may need to begin rebuilding their offensive coaching department sooner rather than later.

Michigan signs former OSU coach Kerry Coombs

Ryan Day’s worries might have been increased when the Michigan Wolverines announced that they had hired former Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs as their new special teams coordinator. The move came after Michigan fired J.B. Brown as its special teams coordinator. Head coach Sherrone Moore was more than happy to unveil the new coach signing.

“Coach Kerry Coombs is a proven, exceptional football coach, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our program,” Sherrone Moore said in a statement. “Kerry’s leadership of our special teams will be invaluable. His expertise in teaching and mentoring has consistently shaped both outstanding athletes and remarkable young men, including some of the nation’s top special teams players and cornerbacks.”

Kerry Coombs has held multiple stints at Ohio State. He first joined the program in 2012 as the cornerbacks coach. In 2013, he added special teams responsibilities and went on to serve as the special teams coordinator for five seasons from 2013 to 2017. Coombs was part of Ohio State’s national championship run, helping the Buckeyes defeat Oregon in the title game.

He then returned to Columbus in 2020 for a two-year stretch as defensive coordinator after spending time in the NFL as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive backs coach. So, Coombs knows his way around Ohio State, which could maybe give the Wolverines an advantage going into the next season.