The Ohio State Buckeyes have a much different kind of coordinator running the defensive mechanism within the greater machine in Columbus these days. Matt Patricia is not like Jim Knowles. For many different reasons.
Of course, for one, Patricia is a seasoned NFL vet. Knowles is a career college coach who never broke through to the professional level. That's by design, with Knowles having a very specific, intricate system that players need to progress through the system to learn.
Still, Patricia's next job would probably be in the pros, which is the only conceivable step up from the Ohio State University. Maybe even a head coaching job. Since Knowles left Columbus, though, he's stepped down to a losing level with the Penn State Nittany Lions and then got fired before being scooped up by the Tennessee Volunteers. Things may be looking up on Rocky Top defensively, at least, but the offense may not be able to keep the Vols in games.
The difference between the two is stark on the field, too, with Patricia's system leaning on the skillsets of his players. Patricia tailors his defenses to the guys with the most gravity and the biggest paychecks. That's where that NFL experience comes into play. Knowles' college system simply isn't with the times in the NIL/rev-share era.
As Cleveland.com's Andrew Gillis notes, all of that is bearing out in the type of recruit Patricia is bringing to Central Ohio, relative to Knowles' past additions. Gillis used 2028 Christian Academy of Louisville defensive lineman Kellan Hall, who could play across the OL and DL at nearly every position, as an example.
"When defensive coordinator Matt Patricia showed up on campus, it came with the hope that the Buckeyes’ front would be more versatile and offer various looks compared to what it did under Jim Knowles. On the field, that’s held to be true. Off the field, in the recruiting world, the Buckeyes seem to be recruiting with that in mind, too," Gillis wrote.
"Kellan Hall will visit campus on Tuesday, as the electric 2028 five-star defensive lineman arrives with the potential to play a handful of positions at the next level. That includes both interior and on the edge, as well as in a diversified scheme. As the Buckeyes host a handful of linemen and linebackers, those recruitments are becoming more and more of the norm."
Matt Patricia will be a boon for Ohio State for as long as he's the Buckeyes' DC
Patricia's first season was practically perfect up until the end. Keionte Scott's pick-six makes the score look more skewed against the Buckeyes' defense from that 24-14 Cotton Bowl Classic loss to the Miami Hurricanes on New Year's Eve.
If the addition of another career NFL guy, Arthur Smith, helps the offense carry its weight, Ohio State's ceiling is limitless. The schedule will be tough in 2026, but the talent base is very high. Both sides of the ball are looking for the next guys up, with the offense having very youthful skill-position weapons it'll lean on.
Cherish Patricia during the coming campaign, Buckeye fans. He's doing so well that the NFL figures to come calling sooner rather than later to give him the reins of a defense, or perhaps the entire locker room.
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