Chip Kelly is reportedly leaving UCLA, per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports and CBS Sports. Kelly is reportedly being linked to Ohio State and could become their next offensive coordinator, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.

“Sources: Ohio State is expected to target UCLA coach Chip Kelly as the school's next offensive coordinator. A deal could come together as soon as today,” Thamel wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Leaving UCLA is surprising enough, but immediately being connected to Ohio State will unquestionably catch the entire college football world's attention. Kelly was previously linked to NFL teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders.

Is Chip Kelly guaranteed to join Ohio State?

As of this story's writing, Kelly isn't officially a member of Ohio State's coaching staff. So there is still a chance that he could take over offensive coordinator duties for an NFL team. All signs are currently indicating that Chip Kelly will join the Buckeyes, though.

UCLA had an up-and-down season in 2023. They finished with a decent 8-5 record, but went just 4-5 within their conference. Rumors about a potential Kelly departure started to emerge toward the end of the season, and now he is indeed set to head in a different direction.

The only question is where he will coach next. Joining the Buckeyes would be an intriguing move. Ohio State always has championship aspirations but they have fallen short of those expectations over the past few years. Perhaps adding Kelly to Ryan Day's coaching staff would help Ohio State return to their championship-caliber performance.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates on this situation as they are made available.