Why James Smith became latest in line of Alabama transfers to land at Ohio State
James Smith sought a change of scenery as he put his name in the transfer portal in January.
“I just needed a fresh start,” Smith said.
It resulted in his move from Alabama to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility.
Smith found his visit to Columbus reminiscent of the one he took years ago to see Nick Saban’s program.
“It felt like that,” Smith said. “When I came here, they didn’t lie to me, not one time. They told me it was going to be hard, and I was OK with that.”
Smith signed with the Crimson Tide to play for Saban, but the legendary coach retired after his freshman season in 2023.
He spent two more years at Alabama under Kalen DeBoer and made 12 starts at defensive tackle last fall, emerging as a disruptive interior lineman who had 28 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Nearly two weeks through spring practice with the Buckeyes , he considered the differences between the programs.
“The intensity is different,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t even say the intensity, everything is just so intentional. Everybody’s already laid out. They came with a new coaching staff at 'Bama. They were still trying to learn stuff. Here it's already stable.”
The stability with the Buckeyes not only includes coach Ryan Day, but also defensive line coach Larry Johnson, their longest-tenured position coach, who has been on staff since 2014.
Johnson has a long track record of development, a potential boost for Smith, who has shown promise but also sees things to clean up in order to make more of an impact at the line of scrimmage.
Smith mentioned a need to avoid reaching for tackles, but instead charge forward and use the force of his 6-foot-2, 314-pound frame to wreak havoc.
“If [an opponent is] 3 yards in the backfield, just keep running,” Smith said, “because you're eventually going to find the ball. You just disrupted the whole play. You'll never reach if you're being violent up the field and attacking.”
Smith hopes to be as impactful as Kayden McDonald, the run-stuffing nose tackle who was an All-American for the Buckeyes last season before leaving early for the NFL .
“I saw how disruptive he was and how he was getting upfield,” Smith said. “He was just messing everything up and making plays. I saw that, and I was, like, ‘I like that.’”
He has largely been a three-technique defensive tackle in his career, but is also learning nose tackle this spring.
“He wants to be great,” defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said. “He wants to improve. His thirst for knowledge, I love it. It’s great.”
If Smith proves to be a difference-maker for the Buckeyes this year, he would hardly be the first from Alabama in recent years.
Since Saban’s retirement, the Buckeyes have brought in six transfers from the SEC powerhouse.
The star-studded group has ranged from starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who spent a few weeks with the Crimson Tide after he signed with them in late 2023, to Caleb Downs , the star safety who broke out at Alabama as a freshman before becoming the linchpin of Ohio State’s defense.
Downs and Smith were teammates as freshmen, and Smith described him as like a brother, someone who helped to convince him to end up at Ohio State.
“He wanted me to come here real bad,” Smith said.
Smith wasn’t alone this offseason in transferring from Alabama to Ohio State. Cornerback Cam Calhoun and defensive end Qua Russaw also joined him.
Russaw and Smith attended Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama, together.
“It’s not like we were just trying to follow each other,” Smith said. “It’s almost like every place we go to, we have the same interests. We like the same stuff, so it was going to end up like that. It made it easier too.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why transfer DT James Smith signed with Ohio State football
