After a season that started with promise but ended in disappointment, the Ohio State Buckeyes are heading into the offseason with more questions than answers-particularly on the sidelines.
Ohio State ran the table during the regular season, but the wheels came off once offensive coordinator Brian Hartline accepted the head coaching job at USF. From there, the Buckeyes stumbled in the Big Ten Championship Game, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers in a stunning upset, and then were outmatched by the Miami Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl Classic. It was a tough finish for a team that looked like a College Football Playoff lock just weeks earlier.
Now, attention turns to the other half of the coordinator duo: Matt Patricia. The veteran defensive mind, who spent years in the NFL before making a return to college football, has become a central figure in Ohio State’s defensive resurgence. But with Hartline gone, fans and insiders alike are starting to wonder-could Patricia be next?
ESPN’s Tom Luginbill may have inadvertently added fuel to the speculation while breaking down the Buckeyes’ latest transfer portal addition: former Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. Luginbill highlighted how Little fits into Patricia’s defensive scheme, painting a picture of a player who’s not only physically gifted but also mentally equipped to handle the complexity of Patricia’s system.
“Caleb Downs thrived in Matt Patricia's defensive scheme and now ranks as one of the top overall 2026 NFL draft prospects,” Luginbill noted. “Little, who played a similar rover role at Florida State, arrives with a lot of the same physical attributes.
He's a versatile, physical safety who thrives as an enforcer in the box and led Florida State with 76 tackles. He also has enough range and coverage skills to make plays on the ball, picking off a team-high four passes this season.
Patricia's disruptive and complex scheme can be demanding, but Little's experience and skill set will help fill the void of Downs' departure.”
That’s high praise for both the player and the coordinator. And it reinforces just how much Patricia has meant to this defense.
His scheme isn’t plug-and-play-it requires intelligent, instinctive players who can thrive in multiple roles. And under his guidance, the Buckeyes’ defense took a step forward, especially in the secondary.
Still, with his NFL pedigree and the league’s constant appetite for experienced defensive minds, Patricia’s name is bound to be floated in coaching rumors. But he’s already addressed that possibility. Last year, Patricia explained why he returned to college football in the first place, offering a window into his mindset.
“We went to eight straight AFC Championship games, and you’re kind of just in that mode,” Patricia said. “I had the year to look back and say, ‘Why did I get into coaching?’
I got into it to help teach and mentor young men. And I think that’s what the draw was to come back to college.”
That’s not just lip service. It speaks to a coach who’s recalibrated his priorities and found renewed purpose in developing young talent.
Could he still return to the NFL? Of course-coaching careers are rarely linear.
But as of now, there’s a lot less smoke around Patricia than there was around Hartline before his departure.
For Ohio State, that’s good news. After an offseason already marked by change, stability on the defensive side of the ball could be exactly what the program needs. Patricia’s system is demanding, but when it clicks, it elevates players-and the defense as a whole-to another level.
The Buckeyes appear poised to run it back with a defensive coordinator who’s not only embraced the college game but also shown he can thrive in it. Whether that continuity pays off in 2026 remains to be seen, but for now, Ohio State fans can breathe a little easier knowing that one of their key architects is still in place.