Matt Patricia's Ohio State status raises NFL speculation

Ohio State is still recovering from its recent loss to Miami in the Cotton Bowl last week. As the Buckeyes continue to analyze what went wrong in their defeat against the Hurricanes, they are also focused on turning the page and looking ahead to next season.

The Buckeyes have already experienced a significant loss this offseason with the departure of offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who accepted the head coaching position at South Florida.

There is a possibility that Matt Patricia might also depart. As of Jan. 7, there hasn't been any buzz about Patricia leaving Ohio State, but that could quickly change in the coming days or weeks.

Patricia is a dedicated NFL professional who spent most of his coaching career with the New England Patriots in various roles. He also served as the Detroit Lions head coach from 2018 to 2020.

There are going to be numerous NFL defensive coordinator jobs opening up, and with the way Patricia coached this season, there is a good chance he could be in the running for them.

Why Patricia staying with Buckeyes is crucial

While it would be great for the Buckeyes to retain Patricia from a coaching perspective, they also need to ensure that he is committed to staying on board while pursuing players in the transfer portal.

The transfer portal opened up on Jan. 2 and will close on Jan. 16 for players not playing in the national championship. That time span is also when NFL teams will be interviewing defensive coordinator candidates.

If Patricia is in the running for an NFL position and doesn't secure one, it could negatively impact Ohio State in several ways. A player considering a transfer in the portal might choose to look elsewhere or hesitate to commit to Ohio State if they're uncertain about Patricia's future with the Buckeyes.

.@OfficialAJHawk loves what he's seen from the Ohio State defense this year

"I think Patricia has done a great job empowering those guys."

Presented by @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/MRymhiJM5W
— Bobby Carpenter Show (@BobbyCarpShow) September 19, 2025

College football changed significantly over the past few years, and many programs have been concerned about losing commitments from high school players when a coach departs. However, there are now players in the transfer portal eager to play for a specific coach, and Patricia could be one of them.

Ohio State can market itself based on its brand alone, but there may be players who are particularly drawn to join Patricia after seeing what he accomplished this season.

Ohio State fans can expect an intriguing few weeks ahead as they keep an eye on players declaring for the NFL Draft and potential coaching changes.