Buckeyes Spoke to Media Ahead of the UCLA Game
11/12/2025 12:11:00 PM | Football
On playing night game
Anytime it's a night game, it's exciting and I think we have some good recruits in. Should have a great crowd. We've had great crowds this year so it should be a great atmosphere. We're certainly looking forward to it.
On Jermaine Mathews
If you don't notice him, just listen for a little while on the field. He's a guy that certainly brings a certain energy to the table every day. He's a competitor, he's playing well, he's played some corners. He had a big pick last week, which was great. And, he's obviously very confident, but somebody that's just the way he is. He brings that to the field every day when he comes out here. He's consistent with his energy. He's a guy that we all look to for that juice every day and he certainly brings it on game day.
On being called “a cut above” and what they can still improve on
The first thing is that everybody has to understand, from players to coaches, how exact and on point we have to be. And that's every week. The teams that we're playing now and the teams that we're playing in the future, we got to be good and that's gonna take great energy. It's gonna take great finish. It's gonna take great focus. I mean, it's gonna take everything we got to get there. And so, it's one thing to say, ‘OK, we've done X, Y, and Z up until this point,’ but that means absolutely nothing. Like zero. We've done nothing. So, I understand everyone's gonna talk about those things, but none of that has anything to do with what we're doing moving forward. So if we think that has anything to do with this weekend or where we're going, then we're dead wrong. We have to make sure we all understand that, and it's my job to make sure I remind the team, the players and coaches included, how good we got to be. And so that's really more the message than anything. I think the good news is, we have a chance and that's good. And we said this from the beginning, we want to be the first team ever to be back to back and that's a tall task. It's easy to say, it's another thing to do. And so, we're in the middle of it right now, but we got a lot of work to do and we got to continue to stay focused on what matters.
On when asked what the last couple of weeks has been like for him
It’s been very fun, just being able to get adjusted here and play as much as I’ve been able to play as a freshman.
On when asked what stood out to him about what that experience has been like to play on the road:
The energy on the road is very different than being in the Shoe. I love it.
On when asked about what’s it’s been like playing for Coach Locke:
It’s been great because he cares a lot. He’s very intense, but I have always had coaches like that.
On when asked how he handled his injury during training camp both mentally and physically and how he got back on track
I feel like we have people in this facility to help you through stuff like that. It comes with the game but at the same time you do not expect it to be that early, but there are people in the facility that helped me such as all the trainers, Shaun Barnhouse, Tyler Dean, Stewart, everybody that helped me get back to be able to play this season.
On when asked about what has allowed him to play better and better as the years have progressed
Extra work after practice, just on the things that I need to work on. There’s plenty of things that people do well, and people need to work on so being able to take that time after practice instead of going straight home, just with the different coaches having that time to just work on whatever I need has helped me a lot.
On when asked in what ways he has matured over the course of his time here at Ohio State
Definitely making that jump from defensive end to tackle last year and just being able to take on that role, listen to the coaches because it comes with a lot. It's a different animal inside, So, I’ve been able to listen to the coaches, and they are able to help me out with whatever I need and really help me through this process.
On his growth throughout the season
It has been a long journey, I have definitely had my ups and downs, but they have only made me better, and I just continue to improve every day, and they have shaped me into the player that I am now.
On Coach Locke’s ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ mindset and the chance to play this year
Coach Locke, that's one of many things that I love about him, he's real, he keeps it absolutely real, and he is the same guy that recruited me back in high school, and he holds us to that standard, and I appreciate that.
On talking about his running style
With me, something that I have always prided myself on is being able to make those people miss interior traffic. I feel like I got pretty good feet, I got good eyes, and that's something that I pride myself on. I want to pick the defense apart, and I am not necessarily bursting out of the gate.
On what he learned mentally about playing college football
Honestly, I would say football is football no matter the level you shoot at. Of course, everybody here is talented, and it is different in high school. You are not always the biggest dog on the block, everybody is like that, but you know it is just about trusting that you are here for a reason and you go out there if you understand alignment/assignment what your footwork is, you understand your job, and at the end of the day you go out there and you will be fine.
On where he has grown the most being at Ohio State
I think my confidence has grown a bunch and my strength is showing I’ve been working to get stronger.
On how the defense has carried this motivation
I feel like it was definitely a factor, there is a lot of talk out there and sometimes it’s hard not to block it all out, so that’s a big motivating factor for me.
On focusing on every play and improving for the future
I feel like what James said they have their mentality on offense, and we have out stop to run mentality on defense and I feel like just having both of those in practice every single day like we build off each other to get better each week so I feel like that’s really what we’re focusing on. Just getting ourselves better and working back and forth with each other to do that.
On what’s this year has been like for him
This year I’d say utilizing everybody has been how it’s been different. It’s definitely been an adjustment but using us all to our strengths and getting all the guys on the field to perform and see what they do.
On what strengths are you bringing to this team
I feel like my strengths, everything I love running between the tackles, catching a ball, put out in space, making people miss getting downhill. I think to me, everything is a strength kind of, and I’ve really been working on that. You know, you see the growth from my freshman year to this year. Being through the program and everything, I really strengthened up every part of the game and continue to get stronger in areas, pass protection, everything like that. So, all around I’m doing good and everything.
On the Ohio States running game
It’s going in the right direction. Of course, you know that’s probably an area where we are trying to be more explosive. The passing game and all that we have going on, it’s going to break soon. It’s going to break soon because it has to be a strength for an Ohio state offense you know. You have to be able to roll the ball, pass the ball, be very versatile in all areas like that. So that’s continuing to get better in every phase.
