The defensive meeting room at Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center has become a laboratory of innovation this spring. As players settle into their seats, new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia doesn’t see linebackers, defensive linemen, or defensive backs in traditional roles—he sees chess pieces with unique abilities that can be deployed across the board.
This revolutionary approach represents a significant shift in defensive philosophy for the reigning national champions. While many coaches might have aimed to simply replace the eight defensive starters lost to the NFL draft with like-for-like substitutes, Matt Patricia is completely reimagining the positional landscape of Ohio State’s defense.
“I’ve coached all of it,” Patricia explained when discussing his defensive philosophy. “I’ve coached 3-4, 4-3, nickel, big nickel, dimes, all those packages, four down fronts, five down fronts, odds facing. You kind of just do it through the course of the year.”
Drawing from his championship experience with the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia is implementing a position flexibility blueprint that’s reshaping how the Buckeyes deploy their defensive talent. This approach doesn’t just fill the gaps left by departing stars—it creates a new defensive identity built around versatility, multiplicity, and strategic player movement.
Beyond Traditional Position Labels
At the heart of Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint is a fundamental reconsideration of what defensive positions actually mean. Rather than sorting players into rigid categories—defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker, cornerback, safety—Patricia evaluates specific skill sets and deploys them situationally.
“Personnel was always the biggest thing,” Patricia said, reflecting on his Patriots experience. “Who do we got? It was always us first, like, who do we have? Who are the best 11 guys we can put on the field to help us win this week?”
This player-first approach has manifested most visibly in several key position transitions this spring. None is more emblematic than C.J. Hicks, the former five-star linebacker recruit who spent three years as a backup before Patricia moved him to defensive end.
“The change to edge allows me to be more aggressive,” Hicks explained. “A lot of people think because of the fact I am 240 I don’t have any power. But I’ll definitely run through somebody’s face if I need to.”
Patricia told Hicks he could play a role similar to Willie McGinest on the Patriots’ championship defenses—a hybrid player capable of rushing the passer, setting the edge against the run, or dropping into coverage. This versatility creates defensive unpredictability that confounds opposing quarterbacks.
Similar flexibility appears across the defense. Sophomore Eddrick Houston saw opportunity during the middle of last season and moved from edge to defensive tackle. Now under Patricia, he’s developing as an interior pass rusher while maintaining the quickness that made him effective on the edge.
“I feel like I can produce just as well as I do on the edge,” Houston said. “I have the strength and speed to do it.”
The Secondary Revolution: Defensive Backs Reimagined
Nowhere is Patricia’s position flexibility more evident than in the secondary, where traditional cornerback and safety designations are increasingly blurred. Under Patricia’s direction, Ohio State’s defensive backs are developing interchangeable skills that allow for multiple personnel groupings without changing the underlying scheme.
“Our job as coaches is to have packaging that if those guys earn the right to be on the field, we’ve got to put them on the field,” safeties coach Matt Guerrieri explained. “So how do we find the balance to be able to play multiple safeties, multiple corners and packaging? Matt Patricia is the guru of being able to do that throughout his career.”
Caleb Downs, arguably college football’s most versatile defensive back, embodies this approach. Already deployed as a hybrid safety/linebacker in the middle of Ohio State’s defense last season, Downs’ role is expanding further under Patricia’s guidance.
“You look at a guy like that and you think, we’re going to be able to do some really fun things with him,” Patricia said, his excitement evident. “And he’s super smart. And he’s such a great student of the game. And his approach is amazing.”
Cornerbacks coach and co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton has warned observers not to read too much into specific alignments seen during spring practice. The defensive staff is cross-training players extensively, preparing them to execute multiple roles depending on game situations and opponent tendencies.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. has worked primarily as the first-team nickel back, but Jermaine Mathews has also taken reps at the position. Rather than competing for a single job, both are preparing for specific packages designed to maximize their particular skills against different offensive personnel groupings.
“Do we just have 11 starters? No, we have starters in a multitude of packaging,” Guerrieri emphasized. “I don’t think it’s just a competition between guys for one job. No, we’re trying to put the best 11 on the field. It’s our job to be able to get them out there.”
The Linebacker Evolution: Versatility in the Middle
Ohio State’s linebacker corps faces a significant transition after losing starter Cody Simon to the NFL. But here too, Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint is creating opportunities rather than obstacles.
Junior Arvell Reese, who served as the third linebacker last season, has stepped into Simon’s middle linebacker role. But his responsibilities extend far beyond traditional middle linebacker duties.
“His length and his ability to move around and position flex just makes him all the more valuable,” linebackers coach James Laurinaitis said. “We’re realizing everything Arvell Reese can do. And it’s a lot.”
This position flexibility includes Reese taking reps in pass rush situations, dropping into deep coverage zones typically handled by safeties, and even occasionally aligning as a hybrid edge defender. This versatility allows Patricia to maintain consistent personnel against tempo offenses while changing the defensive look between plays.
Sophomore Payton Pierce represents another example of Patricia’s flexible approach to linebacker deployment. While Pierce fits the profile of a traditional middle linebacker, Patricia has expanded his role to include specific pass coverage and blitz packages that leverage his instinctive understanding of blocking schemes.
“Absolute natural middle linebacker—his feel in the box and his ability to maneuver and feel blocking schemes,” Laurinaitis said of Pierce. “I expect Payton to have a lot of playing time.”
Sonny Styles, the most experienced returning linebacker, embodies the position flexibility Patricia values. Having started his career as a safety before moving to linebacker, Styles possesses a rare combination of coverage skills and physical presence that allows him to impact every level of the defense.
“That run solidified that the culture works, the system works,” said Day, referring to last year’s championship. “It gave credibility to everything we’re doing.”
Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint builds upon that foundation while introducing new wrinkles that maximize the specific talents of players like Styles, Reese, and Pierce.
The Front Four: Multiple Looks, Multiple Skills
Ohio State’s defensive line faces the most significant transition, with all four starters from last year’s championship team now preparing for NFL careers. Patricia’s response has been to implement a front four that can morph between multiple alignments without changing personnel.
Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. have worked as first-team defensive ends in Ohio State’s base 4-2-5 defense, but both have shown the versatility to play in three-man fronts as well. This flexibility allows Patricia to present different looks without substituting, maintaining defensive disguise against up-tempo offenses.
On the interior, Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald have established themselves as the first-team defensive tackles. McDonald’s size—he appears to be pushing 350 pounds despite being listed at 326—provides a massive presence in the middle that occupies blockers and frees up linebackers to make plays.
The most intriguing development has been the second-team defensive line, which features Hicks and Logan George at end with Will Smith Jr. and Tywone Malone at tackle. This group presents a completely different skill set than the first unit, giving Patricia multiple options depending on the situation and opponent.
“Our job coming out of spring ball is to make sure that happens,” defensive line coach Larry Johnson said regarding Hicks’ development as a three-down player. “So far so good. He’s working hard. He’s very eager to learn it, and that makes a difference.”
The Structural Flexibility: Morphing Defensive Fronts
Beyond individual position flexibility, Patricia’s system incorporates structural flexibility that allows Ohio State’s defense to present multiple fronts without changing personnel. Early spring practice observations indicate Patricia is maintaining the 4-2-5 as Ohio State’s base defense but incorporating more 3-4 elements than the Buckeyes employed under previous coordinator Jim Knowles.
This structural flexibility manifests in several ways:
- Edge Defender Deployment: Players like Jackson and Hicks can align as traditional defensive ends with their hand in the dirt or stand up as outside linebackers, changing the defensive front without substitution
- Interior Line Adjustments: The defensive tackles can adjust their alignment from traditional 4-3 positions to 3-4 nose and end spots based on offensive formation and play call
- Linebacker Positioning: The linebackers can present a traditional 4-2-5 look or shift to simulate a 3-3-5 or 3-4 alignment depending on the situation
- Secondary Rotation: Defensive backs can rotate between deep safety, box safety, and nickel positions pre- or post-snap to disguise coverage
“Patricia bases his defense off of the pass game and specifically the pass rush,” noted one analyst familiar with his system. “You’re going to see a ton of advanced looks and those looks are going to change week to week based on the opponent.”
This opponent-specific versatility represents a departure from many college defenses, which often maintain relatively stable identities throughout a season. While Knowles built an outstanding unit in Columbus, his defense generally maintained consistent principles regardless of opponent. Patricia’s approach introduces a level of weekly customization that could confound Big Ten offensive coordinators.
The Communication Challenge: Making Flexibility Work
Position flexibility creates tactical advantages but also presents communication challenges. Players must understand not only their assignment on a given play but how their responsibility changes based on formation, motion, and other pre-snap variables.
Patricia has addressed this challenge by implementing what players describe as “conceptual teaching” rather than position-specific instruction. This approach emphasizes understanding defensive principles that apply across positions, allowing players to apply consistent rules regardless of where they align.
“Matt’s experience and credibility speaks for itself,” Day noted. “I think they know that, but now they’re getting a chance to meet him, and I think it’s been great.”
Patricia’s engineering background informs this teaching approach. He breaks down complex defensive concepts into component parts, establishing clear relationships between variables that players can apply consistently regardless of position.
Former NFL linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who played for Patricia with the Patriots, recalled a defensive concept called “spinning the dial” that Patricia explained in a way that made perfect sense despite Carpenter’s seven years of NFL experience. This ability to communicate complex ideas simply accelerates the implementation of position flexibility.
“[Patricia’s] done a great job evaluating everybody and seeing what everybody can do and trying to find ways to use everybody,” Downs said.
The End Goal: Unpredictability Through Multiplicity
The ultimate objective of Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint is creating unpredictability that forces opposing offenses to prepare for multiple defensive looks. By deploying players in various roles and presenting different fronts without changing personnel, Patricia aims to create confusion that leads to offensive mistakes.
“One thing to remember is when you’re looking for consistency in Matt Patricia’s defense, the only thing that will remain constant is 3-4 nickel or big nickel packages on 2nd or 3rd and long situations and the 4-3 man coverages in 3rd and short,” explained one analyst familiar with Patricia’s approach. “Outside of that, Patricia’s defense will be known for its deception and unpredictability.”
This unpredictability serves multiple purposes:
- Disrupting Quarterback Reads: By disguising coverages and pressures, Patricia forces quarterbacks to process multiple possibilities post-snap, often leading to hesitation or mistakes
- Creating Favorable Matchups: Position flexibility allows Patricia to create matchup advantages without substituting, maintaining defensive deception while attacking offensive weaknesses
- Countering Tempo Offenses: By building multiple defensive looks into single personnel groupings, Patricia can change fronts and coverages against hurry-up offenses that prevent defensive substitution
- Maximizing Individual Talents: Players can be deployed in roles that leverage their specific strengths rather than forced into predetermined positions
“Matt and his experience and credibility speaks for itself,” Day emphasized. “I think they know that, but now they’re getting a chance to meet him, and I think it’s been great.”
The Future: Building Toward Fall
As spring practice concludes, Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint remains a work in progress. The coaches are still evaluating which players excel in which roles and which combinations create the most effective defensive packages.
“I’m not playing,” Patricia emphasized during spring practice. “They play the game, so let them get on the field, let them play fast, let them play aggressive.”
This player-centered approach reflects Patricia’s understanding that position flexibility must serve player development rather than scheme complexity. The goal isn’t to create the most sophisticated defensive system but to create one that puts each player in position to maximize their specific talents.
As Patricia continues implementing his position flexibility blueprint, the defense will likely continue evolving through summer workouts and fall camp. But the foundation has been established: traditional position labels are increasingly fluid, players are developing multiple skill sets, and defensive packages are multiplying.
For Ohio State fans concerned about replacing eight defensive starters, Patricia’s approach offers reassurance. By reimagining positions and deploying players based on their specific strengths rather than predetermined roles, he’s creating a defense that may look different from last year’s championship unit but could prove equally effective.
“To maintain the defensive standard,” one observer noted, “it will take everybody.”
With Matt Patricia’s position flexibility blueprint, “everybody” takes on an entirely new meaning—one where players aren’t defined by traditional positions but by the unique skills they bring to Ohio State’s defense.
