Ohio State DC Matt Patricia on the historic 2026 NFL Draft for the Buckeyes | GMFB

0:00 We're so happy right now because the next guest

0:02 we have on GMFB is a coach who has seen

0:04 football at every level from winning Super Bowls to now

0:07 shaping the next generation of collegiate stars, plural stars.

0:10 Please welcome one of the brightest defensive minds in the game,

0:13 friend of our show, friend of ours,

0:16 Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia.

0:20 You guys are awesome.

0:20 I'm so excited.

0:21 I love seeing your faces in the morning.

0:23 We got to just I mean it's once a month right now for me,

0:26 so this is the It's the highlight.

0:27 I love it.

0:28 It's fantastic.

0:28 Matty P., before we proceed though, where is the pencil?

0:31 It's missing.

0:32 Yeah, it's usually It's usually right in the ear.

0:35 Tuck it in mid.

0:37 There we go.

0:38 Okay, now we can continue.

0:40 All right, coach.

0:41 Ohio State became the first school in 59 years to have

0:44 four players drafted in the first 11 picks in the NFL.

0:47 Three of the four were on your defense.

0:49 First of all, proud dad right there.

0:51 Way to go, Matty P.

0:52 Way to go, Matty P.

0:54 Thank you, thank you.

0:54 Uh, you were in the green room for the draft, I assume,

0:57 just bouncing couches because you had so many young men there.

0:59 Fantastic.

1:00 What was that experience like for you in Pittsburgh?

1:02 Yeah, that was the coolest part in the green

1:04 room because everybody was uh right next to each other.

1:07 So, um, it was wild.

1:08 We went, you know, Carnell got drafted first,

1:10 so everyone kind of went over to his area

1:13 and then he's on the phone doing his deal

1:15 and he goes up to to the podium and then

1:18 you look over and now Arvell's on the phone.

1:20 So, it was just watching everybody grab the phone,

1:23 jump on, and and uh man, what an unbelievable experience.

1:26 I'll tell you this, from being on the other side of it

1:29 for so long and making the phone calls, and you know,

1:31 you can hear the excitement on the other side of the phone,

1:34 but for you being in the war room, you're just excited for your team.

1:37 You tried to make the team better.

1:38 You're really excited to get that guy in the building,

1:41 but you're kind of on to the next pick.

1:42 you're trying to figure out who just picked next, what was the next need,

1:45 and you're working the board to see the joy,

1:48 the excitement of the families, the relief from the kids.

1:51 Um, man, I I've never been around anything like that.

1:54 That was so special for me.

1:56 Um, and it just brings back all the memories of how cool the draft is,

2:00 how great it is for those guys, and and how exciting.

2:03 And, uh, you know, they start the next chapter.

2:05 So, so cool.

2:06 Coach, how quickly does the recruiting pitch change?

2:08 You know, you got Super Bowl winning coach

2:11 and also the coach of three first round draft picks.

2:15 Like, how soon does that change for you when you call some prospects?

2:19 Yeah, I think we're trying to make new powerpoints right away,

2:22 like right after that happens.

2:23 We're trying to get the new uh stats up and all of that going out.

2:27 But, um, you know what's funny is I remember, you know, being a kid and um,

2:30 you know, the draft used to be on like a Tuesday and a Wednesday.

2:33 Like, think about how big it is right now.

2:35 I used to skip school to watch the draft and uh you know it'll be like

2:38 yeah I'm going to school mom and you like go down to the basement wait a couple

2:41 minutes come back upstairs to try to watch

2:43 the draft and to be actually at the draft for as long as I've been involved

2:47 for the first time that was it was really cool.

2:50 Yeah, so coach we mentioned all the tremendous talent that you had Arvell Reese,

2:53 you had Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald.

2:57 There's so many people that came from you.

3:01 How quickly will these guys adapt to the NFL

3:03 and the their the scheme that they'll be running?

3:06 Yeah.

3:06 Well, I first of all, I give all the credit to those guys.

3:08 You know, they're the ones that played.

3:10 They went out on the field and they

3:11 did everything to put themselves in this position.

3:13 So, yes, I'm I'm super proud papa.

3:15 But more impressive, I think, was when the season ended,

3:18 these guys went right to work.

3:20 We've been watching film.

3:21 We've been studying.

3:22 We've been getting ready to go.

3:23 And, uh, I think these guys have a great

3:25 chance to adapt to the NFL pretty quick.

3:27 I think they're going to go right in.

3:28 They're they're studying their playbooks.

3:30 They're watching film.

3:30 Now, there's a there's a big adjustment.

3:32 We all know that.

3:33 And being on the other side of it, they've got to walk into that locker room.

3:36 I think they have the right mindset.

3:37 And when we, you know, the way we do it here at Ohio State with Coach Day,

3:41 it is iron sharpens iron every single day, and it is that professional mindset.

3:45 So, I think they'll carry that with them.

3:47 They'll walk into those locker rooms.

3:48 They're ready to go.

3:49 I'm excited for them.

3:50 And, uh, I can't wait.

3:51 I just can't wait.

3:52 Coach, you mentioned uh it is a big adjustment.

3:55 Can you elaborate on that a little bit?

3:57 What is the biggest adjustment defensively uh

3:59 from college ball to the pro level?

4:02 Yeah, I think the biggest adjustment I tell our guys is

4:04 the fact that when you go to a building in an NFL building,

4:07 there's guys there that you have to compete with that, you know,

4:10 maybe they've been there five, six, seven years, they know their routine.

4:13 They know the playbook.

4:14 They already know what, you know,

4:16 how they recover in their body, what time they get up.

4:18 There's a lot to figure out as a rookie

4:20 player walking into a new building in a new city, plus learn the playbook.

4:24 Uh for us defensively this year really I think our guys um they

4:28 grew our defense and it really was about them what they could handle.

4:31 So I feel pretty confident that their knowledge coming

4:34 from what we did this past year will transfer pretty well.

4:37 They've just got to go out learn

4:38 a new vernacular really it's like learning a new

4:40 language associate that with what they know

4:42 and then just go play fast and aggressive.

4:45 Well, Coach you coached a lot of great players

4:46 but you also played against some of them this year.

4:49 Rueben Bain coming out of University of Miami.

4:50 What did you see in him?

4:52 I mean, there are a lot of talk about his arm length, whatever,

4:54 but what did you like about him on the field as a football player?

4:58 Yeah, you felt him right away.

4:59 And and you know how it is when you're down in the field.

5:02 Um there's just guys that you feel you feel the rush,

5:05 you feel the power, the speed, and that's what he has.

5:08 He has that explosive burst.

5:10 You know, he he kind of, you know,

5:12 I coached Dwight Freeney in college, I had him at Syracuse.

5:14 Dwight had, you know, he was really long, but that explosive burst and power,

5:18 uh that's what you feel from Bain on the field.

5:20 you see the get off and and I think you know Jason Taylor

5:23 did a great job with him and and his ability to pursue hustle,

5:27 great motor, those things you look for at that end position.

5:30 Um he was dominant on the edge.

5:32 Uh yeah, you coached against some uh great defensive guys this season,

5:36 but also some good offensive guys,

5:38 including the number one overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.

5:40 What was it like having to go up against that guy?

5:43 Uh and what are his prospects looking like for the pro game?

5:47 Yeah, I I mean I love this guy.

5:49 I think he was really probably one

5:51 of the most challenging quarterbacks we faced all year.

5:53 Um, a guy that can make all the throws on the field.

5:56 That's what you see first and foremost.

5:57 Very smart, really good in the pocket.

5:59 And I just have to say tough.

6:02 I mean, straight tough.

6:03 Caden Curry hit him so hard.

6:05 Uh, the first play of our game, I was like,

6:08 he goes down and I was like, okay, all right, here we go.

6:10 And he got up and I was like, uh oh, we got a problem.

6:14 But, you know, just a tremendous, I was like, oh, here we go.

6:17 Um, but unbelievable guy.

6:19 He actually grabbed me during the uh Combine.

6:21 We talked for a little while and just so impressed by him.

6:24 I know for a fact he's been working really hard getting ready for his moments.

6:28 He's been studying tape.

6:29 He's been trying to figure out, you know,

6:32 defenses and and scheme and just taking a look

6:34 at what the NFL defense looks like compared to college defenses.

6:37 And uh I'm excited.

6:38 I think that's a great pick for the Raiders.

6:40 And uh we'll see what he does.

6:42 Well, along those lines,

6:43 so many people care about what he's going to be like in the NFL,

6:46 but what the Raiders care about is how he makes the building better.

6:49 And you know, somebody also in that building pretty well in Tom Brady.

6:53 There's a lot to be said about how similar these two people are.

6:56 If you coached against Fernando and you know Tom really well,

7:00 do you see any similarities between these two quarterbacks?

7:03 Yeah, I mean obviously being with Tom um all the time for the last

7:07 you know two decades um the first thing that comes obviously great person

7:11 amazing human being but on the football

7:13 field the most competitive guy you've ever

7:15 been around he wants to it doesn't matter if it's just like who's going

7:19 to get to the water first he's going to win and that's the thing

7:22 about you know Fernando I've really noticed was his competitive drive is off

7:27 the charts and and that's really what you compare and that's what made Tom

7:31 so great his will just pushed him every single day to compete and get better.

7:35 And I think that's what uh Fernando brings to that building,

7:38 that drive to be the best.

7:39 And you know, he's going to lead in his own way

7:42 and it's going to be different than maybe what Tom does,

7:44 but uh to drive the building in a in a championship sort of mindset,

7:48 I think he'll bring to that building.

7:49 We just got done, coach, talking about the Giants and the Commanders.

7:53 Couple of good quarterbacks in that division, the NFC East,

7:57 between Jalen and Jayden and Jaxson and Dak.

7:59 Now you have three players going to that division who

8:02 are going to try to chase them down in Arvell Reese,

8:04 Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs.

8:06 Have you spoke to any of these young

8:08 men about getting drafted into these new cities,

8:10 but also those offenses that they're going to be going up against twice a year?

8:14 Yeah, you know, great our guys are actually here.

8:16 Um after the draft, they came back.

8:18 We went right back into mode.

8:20 Yeah, it's been unbelievable.

8:21 I'm telling you, they've been here every week.

8:23 We watch tape and uh so now they've got their playbooks.

8:25 And it was kind of funny the other day they're

8:27 in my office and so I'm I'm sitting in my office.

8:29 They're all kind of looking at their playbooks and it's like, "All right,

8:32 we got a we got a we got a Dallas playbook in here.

8:34 I got a Washington." I'm like, "Do I have to divide these guys up now?

8:37 I got to put them like they don't really understand." I was like,

8:40 "Fellas, I'm like there's a huge rivalry here right now.

8:42 You're in competition with each other." So thankfully,

8:45 you know, all defensive guys,

8:46 but uh you could feel it building like, "Wait, what's the big riv?" I'm like,

8:49 "This is the rival." The NFC East is one of the oldest and most historic,

8:53 you know, divisions in all of the NFL.

8:55 Now you're you're walking into a whole new world.

8:58 So, uh, it was an education for sure.

9:00 But, uh, they're already on it.

9:01 They're already trying to learn and getting ready to go.

9:03 Yeah.

9:04 Just put on those Saturday games after

9:05 Thanksgiving and they'll understand what that rivalry is.

9:07 All right.

9:08 Exact.

9:08 Exactly.

9:08 I mean, we were talk we were talking about Thanksgiving, you know,

9:11 back in the day when you get the Cowboys and, you know,

9:14 Washington playing each other and Thanksgiving down

9:16 in Dallas and there'd be a fight, there'd be something breaking on it.

9:19 But you guys, you guys, here we go.

9:21 Here we go.

9:22 Grab your turkey legs, everybody.

9:23 Matty P.

9:24 everybody, we love having you on the show.

9:27 You guys are the best.

9:28 I love seeing you and just I appreciate you so much.

9:31 Thank you for having me on.