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Over two days at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, seven Ohio State defenders sat in front of reporters and answered questions about their draft stock, their training, their measurements, and their professional futures.
And every single one of them found a way to talk about Matt Patricia.
Not because they were asked a scripted question. Not because they were prompted by a handler. But because the impact was genuine enough that it kept coming up naturally, across different sessions, on different days, from players at different positions.
Here’s how it unfolded.
Wednesday, February 25
The first wave of Ohio State media sessions included the linebackers, defensive linemen, and edge rushers. Matt Patricia’s name surfaced almost immediately.
Arvell Reese (LB) set the tone by crediting Patricia as the primary reason for his breakout season. He described the depth of knowledge Patricia instilled and revealed that the two studied film of former Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins together. “I think he’s a huge reason why I played the way I play,” Reese said. “With Coach Patricia’s defense, I’m able to explain all 11 positions with like 80, 90% of the calls.”
Sonny Styles (LB) focused on Patricia’s continued involvement in the draft process, praising the Zoom calls Patricia organized to simulate Combine meetings. “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,” Styles said.
Kayden McDonald (DT) offered the most emotional perspective, calling Patricia “a peoples’ coach” and crediting him for mental preparation beyond the game. “He helped me mentally and got me ready for this moment,” McDonald said. When asked about his favorite Ohio State memory, McDonald named Patricia alongside Ryan Day and Larry Johnson as the people who believed in him.
Caden Curry (DE) delivered the most extensive praise of anyone at the Combine. He called Matt Patricia “everything” for his senior year and said Patricia is “one of or the best defense coordinator in college football.” He described the personal relationships Patricia built with players’ families, praised his mock interview preparation, and expressed a hope that Patricia would stay at Ohio State for a long time.
Thursday, February 26
The defensive backs took the podium on Thursday, and the pattern continued.
Caleb Downs (S) provided what may be the most significant quote of the entire Combine when he cited Matt Patricia’s actual coaching language. “Coach Patricia, he uses the term, ‘Simple for us, hard for them,'” Downs said. In a separate interview with SI.com, Downs credited Patricia with developing his mental processing of opposing offenses.
Davison Igbinosun (CB) credited Patricia and cornerbacks coach Tim Walton for helping him cut his penalty total from 16 in 2024 to five in 2025. While not a headline-grabbing quote, it confirmed Patricia’s impact on the secondary specifically.
The Pattern Is the Story
Individual praise is easy to dismiss. A single player saying nice things about his coach is expected. It’s professional courtesy.
But when every defender on the roster says the same thing, independently, across two days, from multiple positions, that’s different. That’s a culture.
Matt Patricia’s name wasn’t just mentioned at the Combine. It was woven into every answer about development, preparation, schematic understanding, and professional readiness. The players who played for him treat his coaching as a defining part of their Ohio State experience.
SI.com’s national Combine recap summarized it best, noting that “Patricia’s identity is deeply embedded in the 2026 draft class.”
The Combine is designed to evaluate the players. This week in Indianapolis, every Ohio State defender used the stage to evaluate their coach. The reviews were unanimous.