Ohio State doesn’t just produce NFL talent - it produces winners. And this year, the Buckeye pipeline is running straight through Super Bowl LX. Four former Ohio State standouts are heading to Santa Clara, and no matter which team walks away with the Lombardi Trophy, someone wearing Scarlet and Gray in their past will be wearing a ring in the present.
Let’s start with Mike Vrabel. In his first season as head coach of the New England Patriots, the former Buckeye defensive end has already led his team to the sport’s biggest stage.
The Patriots edged out Denver 10-7 in an old-school, defensive slugfest - the kind of game that fits Vrabel’s identity like a glove. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective.
And now, Vrabel is heading to his fifth Super Bowl - three as a player with New England, and now his first as a head coach.
He’s not just chasing a ring - he’s chasing history. Only four coaches have ever won the Super Bowl in their first season with a team.
Vrabel could become the fifth. Even more rare?
Only one other former Buckeye has coached in a Super Bowl: Don McCafferty, who led the Baltimore Colts to a title back in 1970.
But Vrabel’s not the only Ohio State connection on the Patriots sideline. Running back TreVeyon Henderson and offensive lineman Thayer Munford Jr. are both suiting up for New England as well.
Henderson made his presence felt this season, racking up 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. If the Patriots win, he could become the first Buckeye ever to win a national championship and a Super Bowl in back-to-back years - a rare feat that speaks to his impact at every level.
Munford’s journey has been a bit more under the radar, but no less important. After joining the Patriots from Cleveland’s practice squad in November, he’s carved out a role as a sixth offensive lineman - a key piece in New England’s playoff run. Depth matters in the trenches, especially in January football, and Munford has delivered when called upon.
On the other side of the field, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is turning heads in Seattle - and turning games on their head. The Seahawks wideout put on a show in the NFC Championship Game, hauling in 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown in a 31-27 win over the Rams. It was a performance that reminded everyone why he’s the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Smith-Njigba’s highlight reel from that game is already the stuff of legend. A one-handed sideline grab in the first quarter went viral within minutes.
Later, he absorbed a big hit while securing a 42-yard bomb. Three plays later, he found the end zone from 14 yards out.
By halftime, he had 115 receiving yards - a Seahawks playoff record for a single half. And when Seattle needed a clutch play late in the fourth, he delivered again, converting a critical 14-yard catch with three minutes left to help ice the game.
His season numbers? Try 132 catches, 1,965 yards, and 12 touchdowns over 19 games. That’s elite production, any way you slice it.
So when Super Bowl LX kicks off, it’s not just Patriots vs. Seahawks.
It’s Buckeyes vs. Buckeyes.
Vrabel, Henderson, and Munford on one sideline. Smith-Njigba on the other.
No matter who wins, Ohio State’s legacy continues to grow.
And let’s not forget how close another Buckeye came to joining them. Denver’s Jonathon Cooper made a massive play in the AFC Championship Game, sacking the Patriots’ quarterback in the third quarter to force a field goal instead of a potential touchdown.
Those three points proved to be the difference. Cooper was this close to crashing the Super Bowl party - just on the wrong side of the scoreboard this time.
But the Buckeye imprint is undeniable. Four players.
Two teams. One championship on the line.
And one thing’s for sure - Ohio State will be celebrating when the confetti falls in Santa Clara.