The Ohio State Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national title last month with a victory over Notre Dame in the title game. However, the team will now need to replace one of the coaches who played a crucial role in that success. According to college football insider Pete Thamel of ESPN, offensive line coach Justin Frye is leaving Ohio State to take on the same role with the Arizona Cardinals.
“Sources: Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye is expected to become the offensive line coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Frye is a veteran OL coach with stops at UCLA, Boston College, and Temple. He was also the offensive coordinator during his time at UCLA under Chip Kelly,” Thamel said in a post on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
This past season, Frye faced significant challenges as the Buckeyes suffered two major injuries on the offensive line, losing future first-round pick Josh Simmons at left tackle and Rimington Award winner Seth Mclaughlin at center. Despite these setbacks, Ohio State managed to excel in the trenches throughout the College Football Playoff. Moving to Arizona, Frye will reunite with former Ohio State left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who was coached by Frye for one season before being drafted in the first round by the Cardinals in 2023.
With Frye’s departure, Ohio State now needs to find replacements for two coaches this offseason, following the exit of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who is heading to Penn State. It will be interesting to see whom Ohio State targets to fill Frye’s position.
