Buckeyes Speak to the Media Ahead of the Trip to Wisconsin
10/15/2025 10:14:00 AM | Football
Having an attitude on the field
“They’re gritty, they’re competitive, they’re edgy. I tell those guys all the time, you bring me up every day because you bring the juice, and it’s our job to work off of each other in this building. Caleb is the kind of man who makes it all happen. We all see what Caleb does on the field, but a big part of Caleb’s success that we have is Caleb’s presence on the field and communicating and getting everybody on the same page and building this confidence around him.”
Long runs in the game
“I think we are continually trying to figure out how to put our guys in positions to be successful in those moments. You know we’re not designing a ton of plays. They just create explosive plays because we feel like we can be efficient.”
Room for improvement at the halfway point
“You know what I’m going to say everywhere, but I think for us in a day and age when it’s all about what’s new, what’s flashy, what’s exciting, what's the new thing. It’s the mundane daily task that we have to embrace on a daily basis. The same things over and over again, like playing with great effort, not exciting, but we have to embrace those things, and get back to work.
Quincy and Mylan are developing more playing time
“They defiantly make plays out there on the field, it’s just a matter of understanding the playbook and they’re continuing to show us that they’re capable of doing that, and later on in the season, we’re going to need those guys to step up, whether a guy goes down or we are up so much on a team they have to go play.”
Growing as a leader
“I take a lot of pride in this because at the end of the day, the rooms are a reflection of us, like no matter who’s out there in the room, whatever they go out there and put on film or go out there and say, it’s a reflection of what’s going on within the program. So, we can all take pride in that.
Message to other teammates
“We just have to treat it like each and every other game we do in this schedule, prepare for them like they’re top talent. We know they are hungry for a win, and then it’s just college football.”
When asked to describe the season he’s having
“We’re just doing what we have to do. Our coaches expect us to make the plays and the positions we're in, so at the end of the day, we’re just doing what we’re told and just doing it to the best of our ability. I wouldn’t say anything all that flashy like that, but I just feel like we’re doing our jobs at a high level right now.”
When asked about how the tight end room is deep and talented, and how he would describe it
“I mean, you said it perfectly. I think we’re deep; we could throw any one of us out there, and we know what we’re doing; we can get the job done. Like I said earlier, there are some areas where other tight ends are more capable than others in the room, but at the end of the day, we could all get the job done, and we got something special, something about us.”
When asked about how he feels about watching plays where everybody got their guy and handled their business
“It’s awesome. It’s better than scoring a touchdown, I'm telling you. It’s awesome. No one will ever see that, but in our room, it's the coolest thing because so much goes into that, and again nobody will understand that.”
Relationship with Coach Patricia
“Ever since he got here, the first day he was here I had a conversation with him and the relationships been growing since and I love him and he loves me back, he really connects with us, and I think I can speak for the defense as a whole, when someone like that has a good relationship with you, you want to play for him.
Togetherness within the team
“When it comes to togetherness, it's communication, it’s getting lined up, it's discipline.”
Changes from the first game
“In game one, I felt comfortable as well, but the confidence is going up, I’m seeing the field a little bit bigger, and the games are slowing down for me, I would say, so that’s even better.
When asked about what it means for him to go back to Wisconsin and be this version of himself and have a chance to play on the field
“I’m excited to go and play with a lot more confidence than I had back then. I have a lot more trust in what we've got going on right now as an O-Line group, and I have a lot of trust in our backfield, so I’m excited to make it happen.”
When asked about when he started to feel like the confident guy he is now
“I wouldn't really say that there was a specific time or something like that. Just like over time building that confidence through repetitions and being consistent, whether it's calls or actions that we do on the field or stuff like that, kind of builds that confidence, you know, doing it consistently over time. Being in the position where I'm at now, I obviously have a lot to grow, a lot to learn, and a lot more confidence to continue to have, but as of right now, I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot.
When asked about how Wisconsin's defense is different than anything they’ve seen this year
“Just the way they play, I think their defensive front is, you know, one of the best we've seen this year, in terms of, like I said, their strategy. I guess the way they play is just different, and we have to be ready for that. They're not a bad front by any means. I would say they're a huge strength to their team right now, and that's going to be something where I have to deal with it, which I'm super excited for.”
When asked how he feels about his individual season so far
“I think I’m having a pretty good season. I’m doing things that I wouldn’t say I don’t like, but just sacrificing for the team. I’m a team player first, so I think this year is going well, but I would like to do other things, and I’ve talked to Coach P about it, and he’s open to it.”
When asked how much he’s learned from Coach Patricia this year
“His IQ is very high, a guy that comes from the NFL, it's great for me, and it’s great for the other guys, too. Personally, I’ve learned a lot from him. My IQ has tremendously increased.”
When asked about what it's like being a part of what some people say is the best defense there is, and if there’s a sense of responsibility there
“Just to do our job. You go out there, play fast, play physical, and play Buckeye football.”
