Matt Patricia on Preparing Players for the NFL: ‘How Do You Stay in the NFL?’

Most college football coaches talk about getting their players to the next level. Matt Patricia is asking a different question.

“You’re gonna get in there,” Patricia said on The Pat McAfee Show during NFL Combine week. “But how do you stay in the NFL, right?”

It’s a subtle distinction, but it reveals everything about how Matt Patricia approaches player development at Ohio State. Getting drafted is the milestone everyone talks about. Building a career is the part that requires real preparation. And that preparation, according to both Patricia and the players he’s coached, starts long before the draft process begins.

Teaching Conceptually, Not Just Schematically

On McAfee’s show, Patricia explained the philosophy behind his teaching approach at Ohio State.

“So my whole thing to them was we’re just gonna teach a little bit differently,” Patricia said. “We’re gonna teach more conceptually. We’re gonna learn the bigger picture.”

In practice, that means Matt Patricia doesn’t just tell his players what to do on a given call. He teaches them why. He explains the purpose behind each coverage, each front, each stunt. The goal is for players to understand the full defensive structure so deeply that they can adapt to any system they encounter at the next level.

The results of that approach were on full display at the Combine. Arvell Reese told reporters he could explain all 11 defensive positions on the majority of the playbook. Sonny Styles said he walked into NFL team interview rooms and found the terminology familiar. Caleb Downs quoted Patricia’s coaching language on a national stage.

These aren’t players who memorized assignments. They’re players who understand defense. And that understanding is what Matt Patricia believes will keep them in the league long after draft night.

It’s Not About the Scheme

When pressed about his system’s role in developing NFL-ready players, Patricia redirected the conversation away from X’s and O’s.

“It’s not about scheme,” he said. “It’s not about plays. It’s really about what do they do well, and how do I put them in that position, so that they can go play fast and aggressive.”

That player-first mentality has been a consistent theme since Matt Patricia arrived at Ohio State. Rather than asking players to fit a predetermined system, he evaluates their individual strengths and builds the defensive structure around them. The result is players who aren’t just good within Ohio State’s defense. They’re good at football, period.

McDonald confirmed this at the Combine, calling Patricia “a peoples’ coach” who invested in players beyond the field. Curry praised Patricia for conducting mock interviews using his NFL experience. Styles credited the Zoom prep sessions that helped players walk into Combine meetings with confidence.

The through line is always the same: Matt Patricia coaches the person, not just the position.

The Pipeline Continues

Patricia’s attention to long-term player development doesn’t end with the current draft class. At the Combine, Sonny Styles named linebacker Payton Pierce as the next great Ohio State defender. Pierce himself credited Patricia’s approach earlier in the season, saying the coordinator was “pouring into all of us” from the moment he arrived.

That kind of testimony from returning players matters. It means the culture Matt Patricia has built isn’t dependent on the star players leaving for the NFL. It’s being absorbed by the next wave of defenders who are still in Columbus, still in the meeting room, and still learning from a coordinator who thinks beyond Saturdays.

On The Pat McAfee Show, Patricia was asked if he thought his defense gave Ohio State players a real advantage in transitioning to the NFL.

“I mean, I really hope so,” Patricia said. “That’s the whole goal.”

Based on what his players said this week in Indianapolis, the goal is being met. Matt Patricia isn’t just sending defenders to the NFL. He’s sending them prepared to stay there. And for Ohio State, that distinction might be the most valuable thing he brings to the program.