When Jim Knowles left the DC position at Ohio State, many thought their defense would crumble. However, Ryan Day roped in former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia to work with the defense that was already solid.

Former OSU linebacker Caleb Downs appeared on the July 22 Downs 2 Business podcast with Cam Newton and relayed how OSU players didn’t believe in Matt Patricia early on. Instead, the whole locker room was wary of his “weird reputation” and even called him a “terrible hire” on occasion. However, it took no time for the former Lions head coach to streamline the locker room and maintain a firm grip, which helped them build a historic defensive unit in the 2025 season. It started with a simple yet daunting exercise.

“First day, he was like, he got in the meeting. Hey guys, we’re going to hand out this sheet of paper. I want you to write the best five players on this defense and the worst five players on this defense,” Caleb Downs said. “If you say yourself and a coach doesn’t say you, you’re lying. And then there were a couple of dudes that were sitting there like, dang bro. ‘Cause they wrote their names and everybody was like [stunned].”

Caleb Downs was a special talent right out of high school. Which is why Matt Patricia knew that he could experiment with him in a new role, and success would be guaranteed. The 51-year-old made Downs as a true safety/linebacker hybrid and even occasionally used him off the edges. That was the turning point for Downs’ career, and one of the reasons the Buckeyes defense was so solid.

Although his tackle count dropped, his contributions came through sheer dynamism, coverages, and ability to handle 11- 12 personnel schemes. That ability was also the reason Downs went 11th overall in the 2026 NFL draft as OSU sent 4 players in the top-11. In truth, Patricia was only tapping into his own career when approaching Downs’ development. He was the Patriots’ LB/safety/DC for many years and had developed Patrick Chung similarly.

Downs moved close to the line of scrimmage, and teams couldn’t quite guess his responsibilities throughout the whole season. He not only disrupted crucial routes but also filled those run gaps that showed in that crucial interception against Penn State. But it wasn’t just Downs; Patricia’s impact went beyond him greatly as Ohio State ranked 1st nationally in total defense.

Having coached in the NFL for two decades, Patricia brought elite pro-ball standards. Players particularly noted his install meetings, film study push, and pre-snap reads that mirrored his elite Patriots team that won three Super Bowls with him. Even after the season ended, Matt Patricia was giving the required nudge, helping them prepare for the pre-draft process. Most importantly, OSU’s defense created history on the field.

The Buckeyes gave up just 219.1 yards and 9.3 points per game in 2025. That’s not all, though. OSU also led the country in red-zone defense efficiency and allowed the fewest first downs. No wonder Patricia was a finalist for the reputed Broyles Award. And this year, as he is in his second season, that award might finally dot his trophy cabinet.