The word “motor” has defined Caden Curry’s career as a football player since his hip and tailpads were held into his pants by a belt.
Clip after clip, down after down, there’s no denying the relentless effort of Ohio State’s emerging star defensive end. It was clear from his freshman year, even in the limited opportunities the now-senior received then. Just watch him stay with this play to stuff a fake punt attempt, then celebrate with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning against Iowa back then in 2022.
“That's just how I've played the game all my life,” Curry said on Wednesday. “My dad coached me when I was little. He definitely would never let me take a playoff. He would never let me give up on a play because he said anything can happen. And I mean, that's just how I am. It's that switch I have and it's my identity.”
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. might have received hype as the anchor of Ohio State’s defensive end room entering the 2025 season, but through three games, it’s been Curry. Consistent pressure on the pass rush from multiple spots in the front. Strong run defense. And that motor that never stops running.
“It's great to see him playing the way he is right now, and if we're going to reach our goals this year and get to where we need to be, we need Kaden to be the playmaker he is right now for us,” Ryan Day said. “He plays with a high motor, just has a great feel for the game. He always did. When he was in high school, I remember just hearing so many stories about what a great player he was, and then when you got a chance to see him play on both sides of the ball, he was a multiple-sport athlete. Now you're seeing all that come to fruition here.”
Curry had to wait his turn to become a stalwart.
After his limited exposure in his freshman year, he and Jackson worked in the shadows as backups to JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer in both 2023 and 2024. Curry played a combined 395 snaps in those two seasons, fourth-most behind Tuimoloau, Sawyer and Jackson both years. For a bench player, he was still productive. He had eight tackles with three tackles for loss and one sack in 2023, then 22 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks in 2024. He was also an impact player on special teams, blocking Ohio State's first punt since 2022 against Purdue.
Curry kept attacking his development, but patience is a difficult and nerve-racking virtue. He had to patiently wait three seasons to become a starter.
“Kind of the same ups and downs everybody, every player here kind of has to go through because you're playing at one of the best football teams in the nation,” Curry said. “I mean, you got to go through the freshman process. You got to go through not starting when you want to. You got to go through everything like that. Now in this day and age, you can definitely get up and get out if you need to and stick with it and kind of go through those highs and lows.”
Thoughts of transfer portal entry crept into his mind over the years. But he could never bring himself to break the bonds he’d built at Ohio State.
“The coaches here, the coaching staff, Coach Day, Coach (Larry) Johnson,” Curry said. “When Matt Patricia came in, he definitely got me to stay close. My defensive line. The brothers and the connections I've made – definitely made me not want to go anywhere else.”
It’s an incredible example for younger players on what the payoff can be when one sticks it out with the program. Because the payoff has been there for Curry through three games this season.
“(He’s) put a lot of time and energy and effort into earning his opportunity to be here in this moment,” Day said. “But Caden, to me, is a great example for some of the younger players on, it doesn't always go exactly the way you think it might, and there's ups and downs along the way. And he's had his ups, and he's had his downs, but he's come out the back end stronger for it. He's a resilient person who's gone through some difficult times, just like everybody has during their journey.”
Curry is already close to matching his 2024 production in his first and only year as a starter. He has 14 tackles, three TFLs and two sacks, which is tied for the team-high with linebacker Arvell Reese. And Curry’s advanced stats put him head and shoulders above Ohio State’s other front-line pass rushers. In a team-high 60 pass rush snaps, he has a team-high 12 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus. No other player on the Buckeyes’ roster has more than seven pressures.
His pass-rush win rate is an eye-popping 21.7%, best among Ohio State’s defenders with at least 20 pass-rush reps. For context, Sawyer’s win rate was 17.6% in 2024, while Tuimoloau’s was 12.1%. A stout 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, he’s been successful setting the edge in the run game, too.
“I think he's just a playmaker, always making plays,” linebacker Sonny Styles said. “I think when you turn on the film, also, the biggest thing that stands out, he plays so hard. He's the hardest playing guy on the field, and he's consistent.”
Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has used Curry’s diverse athletic skillset to move him around the defensive front, too. Most notably, he’s the nose guard in Ohio State’s revamped 3rd-and-long package, or the “Rushmen” package for the Johnson traditionalists out there. This year’s look on obvious passing downs is a 3-2-6 with Reese usually occupying the line of scrimmage to rush or spy the quarterback.
Curry’s sack against Ohio in the Buckeyes’ last game was a showcase of what he can do in that package as an interior rusher. He knocks the Bobcats’ center on his rear end and proves too quick for the guard to help on a double-team.
Caden Curry. Beast. pic.twitter.com/DSicLm1Av7
— Buckeye HQ (@RealisticBuck) September 14, 2025
“He's insane, CC,” Ohio State center Carson Hinzman said. “I got to go against him a little bit this past week and some stuff, and man, it's tough. I'm used to the big guys, like K-Mac (Kayden McDonald) and stuff like that. And when you get a true edge in there, gets off the ball before you do, it's crazy, it's tough.
“He's taking your lunch if you're not careful. He’s really good.”
The next test for Curry and company comes in the form of Washington this weekend. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is a speedster who the Buckeyes need to keep inside the pocket while still getting pressure, and running back Jonah Coleman is a brute. But if Curry keeps playing as he has been, it’s going to be an uneasy time for the Huskies' backfield.
