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Matt Patricia jokes that Ohio State’s WRs are built like edge rushers
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Ohio State is moving into a new era with new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia this fall, and the Ohio State assistant has been blown away by the talent that resides in Columbus. That talent is spread across both sides of the ball, and Patricia has been specifically blown away by Brian Hartline’s wide receiver room.
Speaking on Monday, Patricia spoke about how fun and dynamic Ohio State’s defensive backs room is, a group that is tested on a regular basis. That’s because Ohio State’s receivers are not built like ordinary receivers.
According to Patricia, he jokes with the unit that they look like edge rushers physically:
“That group is a lot of fun. They are dynamic, they have a lot of talent, they are competitive as all get out,” Patricia said about his defensive backs. “And it’s fun because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wide receivers (unit) this big, all as a group. It’s like every time, ‘Can you rush (the QB)?’
“These guys are ginormous, I think they’re edge setters.”
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Patricia’s comments are especially pertinent to Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Ohio State’s projected 1-2 punch this fall. Smith has been an instant weapon since he stepped on campus at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds while Tate checks in at 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds.
Quincy Porter, a 5-star freshman, also bears similar physical traits at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. It’s no small feat for DBs to tangle with wideouts built like that, and Patricia would understandably love to have a couple of those athletes attacking the passer.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.