Ryan Day has brought in some talented fresh faces from the portal this year to make up for the losses in talent. But according to former Buckeye icon Bobby Carpenter, Bill Belichick might have a hand in Ohio State landing some specific recruits. That is thanks to the veteran coach’s widespread coaching tree, which includes two names that would otherwise not be connected.

Ohio State lost a substantial number of defensive recruits to the transfer portal, of whom 8 to 10 were key players. Losing these important players after having orchestrated one of the best defenses in the country this season was a big problem for Ryan Day. But he and Matt Patricia quickly got to work and used their success from the past year to rope in some exceptionally good names from the portal.

Weirdly enough, a lot of them are from Alabama, as 97.1 The Fan’s Jeff Thitoff pointed out in the January 18 episode. Former Buckeye National Championship winner Bobby Carpenter reasoned that Bill Belichick’s recruiting strategy might be the reason why.

He asked Thitoff, who Saban worked for as defensive coordinator in the NFL. Then, Carpenter asked the same about Matt Patricia. Both held the same position under Belichick at New England. With Matt Patricia at Columbus, there is a philosophy that’s similar to that of Nick Saban’s defenses at Alabama. That’s why Carpenter believes former Alabama players are finding a connection with Ohio State.

“You see, the common thread of the similarities of defenses and scheme similarity there,” Carpenter highlighted. “And I’m not sure exactly what Alabama is doing and what they’re running right now, but getting those body types, those types of players here, I think is a big part of that.”

Ohio State added Alabama’s Qua Russaw, James Smith, and Cam Calhoun from the portal. There’s Earl Little Jr. as well, who played with the Tide first before transferring to Florida State. Caleb Downs, who was one of Nick Saban’s favorite players, became a phenom in the Buckeye defense. Weird enough, Carpenter’s theory finds an example in the 2026 roster itself. Freshman DL recruit Emanuel Rufin is almost the same height and size as Smith: both are 6’4″, and the latter weighs only 5 pounds more than Rufin (295 lbs).

Patricia has been able to land some star talent in Columbus despite having begun recruiting defensively after a 20-year gap. During his time in the NFL, he changed things up in the Patriots’ defense and became known for the multiplicity in his defenses. He brought over the same aspects at Ohio State, which have led the defense to finish in the top 10 nationally. But his learnings from Bill Belichick also seem to be in play in his attempts to go after the same players that Saban recruited. And just like the two veteran coaches, Patricia is also making sure to get the most elite players available.

What Ohio State is getting in this year’s transfers from Alabama

Ohio State’s defensive transfer class is headlined by Smith, the No. 1 interior defensive lineman in the portal. He couldn’t find much time to play when Saban was coach, but he has grown into a player who justified his 5-star label during recruitment. Over the past 3 seasons, Smith hauled in a total of 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Patricia gets a veteran talent in the DL, who will be key in a unit that has seen a lot of players leave for the draft.

Qua Russaw was also a 5-star recruit and is likely to take over for Caden Curry on the defensive line. Kane Wommack regarded him as a “freaky” player, who is known for his strength and ability to dismantle all kinds of blocks. He was actually far more aggressive in the 2024 season and had to cut it down for the next one.

Cam Calhoun is also a great recruit, having done well in Utah as a third-string cornerback. After Aaron Scott Jr. and Byce West entered the portal, Ohio State’s cornerback room started looking bleak. He could never find time in the Alabama defense, and was instead shifted to special teams. But he did perform well in Utah, having played nearly 400 defensive snaps.

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Unlike the Ohio State offense, Ryan Day keeps pretty much the same defensive staff for the 2026 season. Given what Matt Patricia has already done with the 2025 stars, fans have high hopes that he’ll be able to go beyond this year, especially with Alabama talent in the mix.