Skull Session: Matt Patricia Shares What Made Ohio State’s 2025 Defense Special, ESPN’s Latest Mock Draft Has Six Buckeyes in the First Two Rounds

By Chase Brown on March 4, 2026 at 4:55 am
Matt Patricia
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Can I interest anyone in a cinematic recap of Ohio State beating Purdue?

Have a good Wednesday.

 “IT’S REALLY BEEN GREAT.” Matt Patricia traveled to Indianapolis last week to support Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun, Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Sonny Styles told reporters on Wednesday that Patricia prepared them for the pre-draft process, offering them pointers for interviews and workouts and telling them what NFL coaches and executives are looking for in prospects. 

Patricia confirmed this on The Pat McAfee Show, also sharing what made the 2025 Ohio State defense special and what makes the Buckeyes’ culture one-of-a-kind.

On the culture and talent at Ohio State

“It’s really been great. You got to start with Coach Day and the culture and the people he has in the building. On the defensive side, you felt it right away when you walk in the meeting room with the linebackers, Caleb Downs and just so many great guys that you coaching. You feel that competitiveness and you feel that culture of competing every single day. But when I walked in there and saw those two linebackers (Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles), you’re like, ‘Alright, I know what to do with these guys.’”

On Ohio State’s top-ranked 2025 defense

“The players, when I got there — change is always hard, and we had lost all those great players the year before, and a lot of the guys just hadn’t played and they didn’t have the game snaps. Really through (my first) spring I was like, ‘Alright, we’re gonna teach conceptually, we’re gonna talk about structures, coverage and fronts.’ … By the time we got to the end of the spring, and I kind of listed it and put all the pieces together like I do, like a chess board, you just saw their eyes light up like, ‘Oh wait, we just learned a whole bunch and didn’t even realize it.’ That’s what made the multiplicity that we were able to use over the course of the season. 

“It really was just figuring out what the guys do well. It’s not about scheme, it’s not about plays, it’s really about what they do well and how do I put them in a position so they can play fast and aggressive? … They were competitive, super smart, super great, and they just loved it. It really grew from there. People asked, ‘Is that what you ran in New England?’ I’m like, ‘No, it was really just the Buckeye defense. That was our defense that grew based on the guys we had last year.”

On preparing Buckeyes for the NFL draft process

“Those two linebackers are 6-foot-5, 6-foot-4, I’m like, ‘You’re gonna get in the NFL whether I’m here or not, it doesn’t really matter, but how do you stay in the NFL?’ We’ve all seen that. Guys who either go early or guys who don’t get drafted at all. It’s such a different game. My whole thing to them was that we were gonna teach a little bit differently, we’re gonna teach more conceptually and we’re gonna learn the bigger picture. I think that’s one thing that will help them when they have to go into those new locker rooms and see those new schemes.

“Right when the season ended, I told all those kids, I said, ‘Listen, we’re gonna go on a schedule. We’re gonna meet once a week, we’re gonna Zoom, we’re gonna review all the schemes. I’m gonna put you through the combine interviews, we’re gonna meet individually, were gonna talk about your workouts and your drills. You have to get an advantage now, you have to be ready to go.’ They loved it. We met every week. And you miss them, right? The season ends, it’s over all of a sudden, and you miss seeing all their faces, so it was great to get on Zoom and just keep that relationship going. … That’s all you want. You just want them to have that chance to be successful.”

I love that McAfee and his co-hosts joked that Patricia’s work with Ohio State’s NFL draft prospects is a fantastic recruiting pitch. They’re not wrong! I hope to see Patricia back at Lucas Oil Stadium next season with the next batch of NFL-bound Buckeyes.

 IT’S ALL BUCKEYES. ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his latest two-round mock draft on Tuesday. He had six Buckeyes coming off the board in the first 64 picks, beginning with Arvell Reese to the New York Jets at No. 2 and ending with Davison Igbinosun to the Green Bay Packers at No. 52.

No. 2 - Arvell Reese to the New York Jets

With five first-round picks over the next two years, it's essential for the Jets to find a bunch of building blocks. Reese's explosiveness makes him an option at edge rusher or off-ball linebacker. A high-upside prospect, few blockers are able to match his levels of explosion, and he also has the block deconstruction ability to wreak havoc at the first level of the defense. With New York trading edge rusher Jermaine Johnson last week, Reese would kick-start the Jets' rebuild as a key foundational player to their defense.

No. 5 - Sonny Styles to the New York Giants

The last time an off-ball linebacker was picked in the top five was 2019, when the Buccaneers took Devin White. So while it's rare, Styles' skill set pairs really well with the defense coach John Harbaugh will likely bring to the Giants. Styles dazzled at the combine and can be the boisterous presence that Harbaugh's Ravens teams often had at middle linebacker. The 6-foot-5, 243-pound defender is a converted safety who has the intangibles and potential to wear the green dot right away as a rookie.

No. 7 - Caleb Downs to the Washington Commanders

Downs is one of the smartest football players I've ever studied. His football IQ, versatility on the back end and sure tackling ability make him a worthy selection at this spot even though a safety hasn't been drafted in the top 10 since 2017 (Jamal Adams). Washington gave up a lot of explosive passing plays last season, with opponents averaging 8.1 yards per attempt (third worst in the NFL). The Commanders also had a mere eight interceptions in 2025, which was the fourth worst in the league. Downs could help them improve in both areas.

No. 9 - Carnell Tate to the Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs desperately need to give Patrick Mahomes a receiver who can consistently beat man-to-man coverage. Tate is a silky-smooth route runner who has plenty of range as a pass catcher. He also has arguably the best hands in this class, with only one drop on 67 targets last season. He is a three-level threat who displays his polish on all branches of the route tree. While he wasn't as productive in college, Tate reminds me of DeVonta Smith in body type and how they win routes and could be a similar high-end No. 2 receiver in the NFL.

No. 48 - Kayden McDonald to the Atlanta Falcons

Nose tackle is a clear need for the Falcons. McDonald is a stout presence on the interior who led the country in run stop win rate last season (7.8%) while also possessing a pass-rushing punch.

No. 52 - Davison Igbinosun to the Green Bay Packers

Igbinosun matches the Packers' cornerback prototype, as he's a big, physical and explosive athlete at 6-foot-2, 189 pounds. Igbinosun's developmental arc will take some time, as he's handsy in coverage, but that patience could pay off in the long term.

Reid’s mock doesn’t have a record-breaking four Buckeyes in the first seven picks like Mel Kiper’s, but four in the first nine isn’t half-bad.

 COME ON YOU, WRESTLEBUCKS! It’s been a few weeks since we’ve seen the Wrestlebucks in action. When Ohio State Buckeyes wrestling returns to the mat Saturday in State College, 10 Buckeyes will aim to deliver the program its first conference title since 2018.

Jesse Mendez will lead the charge as the No. 1 seed at 141 pounds. Mendez won a Big Ten title in 2024 and captured back-to-back NCAA championships in 2024 and 2025. The Hodge Trophy candidate is 19-0 this season with five pins, nine tech falls and three major decisions.

Joining Mendez inside Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center will be six other top-five seeds: 149-pound Ethan Stiles (No. 2), 125-pound Nic Bouzakis (No. 3), 133-pound Ben Davino (No. 3), HWT Nick Feldman (No. 3), 174-pound Carson Kharchla (No. 5) and 197-pound Luke Geog (No. 5).

The three Buckeyes seeded outside the top five are 157-pound Brandon Cannon (No. 7), 165-pound Paddy Gallagher (No. 8) and 184-pound Dylan Fishback (No. 6), all of whom missed time with injuries this season. Cannon enters the Big Ten Championships at 14-1 with three pins, five tech falls and five major decisions, making him a dark horse to reach the podium — and maybe even claim the 157-pound crown.

Ohio State went 18-1 in the regular season, its lone loss a 36-5 setback to top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling on the road. Now back in State College with hardware on the line, the Buckeyes will need to be at their best — and hope a few of the Big Ten’s other contenders can knock out Penn State’s behemoths before any head-to-head showdowns.

 AND COME ON YOU, BASKETBUCKS! Wednesday is a massive day for the Basketbucks.

Bruce Thornton and Ohio State head to State College for a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Penn State inside the Bryce Jordan Center.

While the Buckeyes handled the Nittany Lions 84-78 in their previous meeting, Jake Diebler’s team can’t take anything for granted on the road — just ask Iowa. After Iowa pummeled Ohio State on Feb. 25, the Hawkeyes turned around and let an 11-win Penn State squad stun them 71-69. That loss dropped Iowa from a No. 8 seed to a No. 9 in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology for ESPN.

Ohio State currently sits as one of Lunardi’s “Last Four In.” If the Buckeyes suffer a similar fate in State College, it might not mean a seed line drop — it could mean falling out of the field altogether.

“Could” is generous.

Lose in State College, and it’s four straight years without an NCAA Tournament.

Take care of business, Buckeyes.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "25 or 6 to 4" - Chicago.

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