Ohio State’s defense isn’t short on motivation this spring — and it’s not lacking confidence, either.
From Matt Patricia doubling down on his commitment to Columbus to newcomers like James Smith embracing fresh starts, the Buckeyes are building a unit defined by urgency, competition and unfinished business. Veterans like Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Garrett Stover are setting the tone, while younger players continue to push for bigger roles in a defense that expects more from itself in 2026.
Here’s everything we heard from Patricia, Smith, Mathews and Stover on Thursday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
DC Matt Patricia
“Ohio State is such a special place, not only just the history, the tradition, the football program, the school, but the people here… Had an unbelievable experience settling into Columbus... it feels like home.”– Matt Patricia on signing a contract extension with the Buckeyes
- On whether Ohio State has exceeded his expectations: “That’s probably a good question. I don’t know. I don’t know if I set expectations or not… But to go in and have a lot of joy around these kids and watch them work and grow and learn certainly going through the process this year with the draft and watching everybody get ready to go and so excited for those guys and what’s next… get a new group in this year and kind of try to do the same thing. That’s what it’s all about, right?”
- Patricia said he could left Ohio State for the NFL but chose to remain with the Buckeyes. “There was opportunities in the league, for sure, but we had just moved and the family was a big part of it and we got great kids here. Like I said, Coach Day’s got a great staff, great culture, so it wasn’t something where it was like, you are necessarily looking to leave, but you do have to listen to those things that do come up. I’m just glad we’re able to just kind of get everything worked out.”
- On James Smith: “He wants to be great. He wants to improve. His thirst for knowledge, I love it, it’s great.” Patricia said Smith knows what excellence looks like coming from Alabama. He said Smith has been a locker-room leader, holding others accountable.
- Patricia said Garrett Stover “blew the doors off” Ohio State’s offseason training program to become an Iron Buckeye. Patricia said Stover is making plays this spring that he wasn’t making last season.
DT James Smith
“Just being violent, getting off the ball, trying to be disruptive and just do my job for the team.” – James Smith on what he brings to the Buckeyes
- Smith said he has no hard feelings toward Alabama – he just wanted a fresh start. That’s coming at Ohio State. “I feel like I needed a new start,” Smith said. “Nothing against Bama, great program, just needed a fresh start.”
- Smith called Caleb Downs his “brother” and said he spoke to the Ohio State All-American before transferring to the Buckeyes. “Caleb Downs is like my brother. I talk to him almost every day… He wanted me to come here very bad.”
- Smith said he watched Kayden McDonald’s film from last season and knows he can make the same impact for Ohio State’s defense. “That’s what I can do,” he said.
- Smith said he talks to Matt Patricia all the time and wants as much of his input as possible. “I feel like Patricia can coach any position on the field. If you go ask him, he’d probably feel the same way. He knows what every position looks like, what they want, he knows everything.”
CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.
“I didn’t end the season how I wanted to end it last year, so it felt like it was some unfinished business.”– Jermaine Mathews Jr. on his decision to stay at Ohio State for his senior season
- Mathews said he has “a couple of plays I want back” from the end of last season, “but that’s just the business of playing corner.” He said the end of last season was the first time he really faced adversity as a Buckeye.
- On Devin Sanchez: “I love Devin, I love his work ethic, I love how he approaches the game … I really believe he’s gonna be one of the best corners in the country one day. I truly believe that. He’s got the stature, he’s got everything that you want from a corner.”
- On reuniting with his Winton Woods High School teammate Cam Calhoun: “It’s a dream come true. We talked about this in high school, we never thought we’d play again together. So really a dream come true to just play with my brother again.”
- Mathews said his goals for his senior season are to win the Jim Thorpe Award, become an All-American – “I need a tree in Buckeye Grove,” Mathews said – and “win everything we can.”
- Mathews thinks Jay Timmons and Jordan Thomas are more talented than he was as a freshman. “They’re going to be very good. Mark that. They’re going to be very good.”
- On getting his first pair of Gold Pants: “I love them so bad, I need me another one.”
LB Garrett Stover
“It’s showing up every day no matter the circumstance. No matter the situation, guys are going to look to you to see if you’re always doing the right thing, if you’re always working hard.”– Garrett Stover on what it means to be an Iron Buckeye
- Stover said he’s bulked up to 234 pounds this winter.
- What does Stover think he can bring to Ohio State’s linebacker unit this season? “A guy that can come into any situation and just bring physicality. Do any dirty work. Anything asked of me, I’m willing to do it.”
- Asked if he would be open to playing on offense like his cousin Cade, who moved from linebacker to tight end for the Buckeyes, Stover said he “would do anything for this team” and “would embrace the heck out of it,” but indicated there were no immediate plans for him to play anywhere other than linebacker.
- Stover said winter workouts were “extremely” hard this year, which he thinks have made the Buckeyes “a lot tighter as a group.” He says the Buckeyes have “a huge chip on our shoulder” after losing the final two games of last season.
