This year, Ohio State could have three defenders go in the first round in April including LBs Sonny Styles Jr., Arvell Reese, and Caleb Downs. As many as seven defenders might hear their names called across seven rounds. And DC Matt Patricia made that clear when he jumped on The Pat McAfee Show and pulled back the curtain on how the Buckeye defense was built for more than a draft weekend headline.

“I mean, I really hope so,” Matt Patricia said when asked if running his defense gave Ohio State players a real advantage transitioning to the NFL. “That’s the whole goal. I say it all the time… You’re gonna get in there. But how do you stay in the NFL, right?… So my whole thing to them was we’re just gonna teach a little bit differently. We’re gonna teach more conceptually. We’re gonna learn the bigger picture.”

That’s the difference with Matt Patricia’s products. Anyone can chase measurables but staying power comes from understanding structure, terminology, adjustments, and how to survive in a locker room full of grown men fighting for contracts. The DC leaned into that from day one. 

When he arrived in Columbus, the Buckeyes had just lost a pile of defensive studs. A lot of young players hadn’t played real snaps. So instead of overwhelming them with a playbook the size of a phone book, he went conceptual by breaking down coverage structures, front mechanics, and how pieces move together.

Even after the 2025 season ended, Matt Patricia didn’t turn a cold shoulder. 

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“Right when the season ended, I told all those kids, I said, ‘listen, we’re gonna go on a schedule. We’re gonna meet once a week. We’re gonna Zoom. We’re gonna review all the schemes,’” he said. “I said, ‘I’m gonna put you through the combine interviews. We’re gonna meet individually. We’re gonna talk about your workouts and your drills.’ And I said, ‘you have to get an advantage now. You have to be ready to go.’ And they loved it.”

That’s the real NFL prep and Sonny Styles felt it immediately.

“Coach Patricia is a huge help,” he told the BIGPLAY Sports Network. “The way he taught the defense, a lot of these rooms that I go in, it’s a similar terminology so they understand what I am saying… Even in this process of training for this moment at the combine, him hopping on Zoom calls with all of us, taking us through what a meeting will look like, he’s been such a great help.”

Arvell Reese backed it up saying Matt Patricia is a huge reason he played. 

“With Coach Patricia’s defense, I’m able to explain all 11 with like 80 or 90% of the calls,” he added. 

The DC isn’t content on just sending his guys to the NFL. He wants to see them thriving at the pro level. 

“It’s not about scheme,” he said. “It’s not about plays, it’s really about what do they do well, and how do I put them in that position, so that they can go play fast and aggressive.”

That mindset showed up in 2025 as Ohio State finished No. 1 nationally in points allowed per game (9.3) and yards allowed per game (219.1). And the eventual preparation paved the way for impressive production at the NFL combine. 

Matt Patricia’s LBs steal the show in Indianapolis

At Lucas Oil Stadium, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese dominated. Both ran 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, leading all edge rushers, LBs, and DLs. Styles topped the LB group in broad jump and vertical jump and tied TCU’s Namdi Obiazor for the best 10-yard split. At 6’5, 244 pounds, his 43.5-inch vertical was historic for an LB and his Next Gen Stats score came in at 94, fifth among LB prospects since 2003.

Reese, viewed more as a versatile outside LB, also impressed evaluators with his range and understanding of defensive structure. Around the league, he’s seen as one of the first overall players who could come off the board. And this is where Matt Patricia’s fingerprints are obvious. He coached perspective and taught them how to articulate football. He kept meeting with them after the season ended. 

The Buckeyes can’t afford to lose him. So AD Ross Bjork made sure Matt Patricia is staying put for 2026 with a new deal. And that’s a big win because if this is what Year One produced, then the pipeline isn’t slowing down. Ohio State already sends talent to the league. Under the DC, they’re sending players who know how to survive once they get there.