What Matt Patricia Taught Ohio State’s Defenders That NFL Teams Are Already Noticing

NFL front offices evaluate college prospects on a long list of measurables: speed, size, strength, explosion, football character. But one category that often separates day-one starters from roster bubble players is scheme comprehension. Can the prospect learn a professional defense quickly? Can they communicate adjustments at the line? Do they understand the full picture of what the defense is doing, or just their own assignment?

At this year’s Combine, Ohio State’s defenders answered those questions before NFL teams even had to ask. And the reason traces directly back to Matt Patricia.

Speaking the Language

Linebacker Sonny Styles described one of the most tangible advantages of playing in Patricia’s system: the terminology translates directly to NFL meeting rooms.

“Coach Patricia’s a huge help,” Styles said. “The way he taught the defense, a lot of these rooms I go in, it’s similar terminology, so they understand what I’m saying.”

That’s not an accident. Matt Patricia spent over 20 years coaching in the NFL. His defensive language, concepts, and teaching methods are rooted in the professional game. When Ohio State’s players walk into team interviews at the Combine and start discussing coverages, fronts, and adjustments, they’re already speaking the same language as the coaches evaluating them.

Arvell Reese put a finer point on the depth of understanding Patricia’s teaching instilled.

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

For NFL scouts, hearing a college linebacker explain every position’s assignment on the majority of a defensive playbook is a significant green flag. It suggests a player who can handle complexity, communicate effectively, and transition smoothly into a professional system.

The Igbinosun Effect

Matt Patricia’s impact on the secondary showed up in a different but equally measurable way. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun entered the 2025 season with a penalty problem. In 2024, he had committed 16 penalties, the most of any defensive player in college football. Under Patricia and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton, that number dropped to five.

The improvement wasn’t just about technique. It reflected a change in coaching emphasis that helped Igbinosun play within the scheme without sacrificing his aggressive style. NFL scouting reports have taken notice. The Packers specifically mentioned Patricia’s press-man scheme when evaluating Igbinosun’s movement skills, and the Jaguars noted his experience playing zone coverage in Matt Patricia’s defense.

That kind of scheme-specific credit in NFL scouting reports is significant. It means Patricia’s coaching is being factored into how teams evaluate Ohio State’s players, which adds value to every Buckeye defender entering the draft.

Teaching the Bigger Picture

On The Pat McAfee Show during Combine week, Matt Patricia explained the philosophy behind his teaching approach.

“That’s the whole goal,” Patricia said when asked if his defense gave players an NFL advantage. “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 distinction between teaching assignments and teaching concepts is critical. Many college defenses teach players what to do on a given call. Patricia teaches them why. The result is players who can adapt to new systems, recognize offensive tendencies on their own, and make adjustments without needing to be told.

Caleb Downs confirmed this at the Combine, crediting Matt Patricia with developing his mental processing of opposing offenses.

“I feel like Coach Patricia did a lot of great things in terms of my mind processing how to take certain players away and how to negate certain abilities that the offense may have,” Downs said.

The NFL Pipeline

The collective impact of Matt Patricia’s teaching is now showing up across the NFL Draft landscape. National outlets like Bleacher Report, SI.com, and Yahoo Sports have all credited Patricia’s system when evaluating Ohio State’s defensive prospects. Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice specifically noted how Patricia deployed Downs in multiple alignments, including as a blitzer, box defender, and middle-of-the-field safety.

SI.com’s national Combine recap went further, observing that “Patricia’s identity is deeply embedded in the 2026 draft class.”

For Ohio State’s current and future players, the message is clear. Matt Patricia doesn’t just prepare defenders for Saturdays. He prepares them for the league. And NFL teams are paying attention.