Ohio State DC Matt Patricia reveals one Ohio State star he can't wait to coach
Matt Patricia is already licking his chops at some of the players he’ll get to coach this year. Chief among them is safety Caleb Downs, who will return for his second season in Columbus.
The new Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator is anxious to get to work with the safety and wasn’t shy about it when answering Dillon Davis from the Delaware Gazette on Friday.
“It’s hard not to walk into the building and try to find Caleb as fast as possible. He is unbelievable. Amazing player, very versatile,” Patricia said.
Patricia arrived at Ohio State after former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left to join the Penn State coaching staff ahead of this season. The Buckeyes finished as the top defense in college football last year with 254.9 yards and 12.9 points allowed per game.
While the Buckeyes will have to rebuild a large part of their defense, namely all four starting defensive linemen are in the NFL draft, Downs stands out as a strong building block for the unit.
Downs was a Thorpe Award finalist last year after totaling 81 tackles, two interceptions, half a sack and six pass breakups as a sophomore.
The safety was particularly important in the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl win over Texas. His penetration on second and goal allowed Lathan Ransom to tackle Quintrevion Wisner for a seven-yard loss. Caleb Downs would later intercept Quinn Ewers to seal the win.
Matt Patricia could have a tough challenge of restructuring the defense after all the roster turnover and high expectations. Leaning on Downs is a good place to start.
Head coach Ryan Day had to fill both coordinator spots after offensive coordinator Chip Kelly also left the program to take the same position with the Las Vegas Raiders. Brian Hartline will be the playcaller and co-offensive coordinator in 2025.
The Buckeyes open their season versus the Texas Longhorns at home on Aug. 30.
New coach will work with Caleb Downs, Buckeyes secondary according to reports
Taver Johnson is making his way to Columbus once again. The experienced coach will start a third stint at Ohio State, where he will serve as an assistant defensive backs coach according to reports.
Johnson spent last season in Tennessee after working as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. The former Las Vegas Raiders assistant, worked under Jim Tressel from 2007 to 2011. He would go back to Ohio State to coach under Urban Meyer for the 2018 season.
He will now join a defensive backfield that includes Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles among other talented players.