Buckeyes meet with the media ahead of game vs. Rutgers
11/19/2025 6:49:00 PM | Football
On how the team is preparing
Their focused right now. They know what they want to get done, and that’s the most important thing. We know that we want to be playing our best football down the stretch and that’s it. I think these guys embrace it and they want to bring it every day. We are chasing history here at Ohio State and they know that so that was the vision early on in the season and then the challenge is to focus on being your best and being the hardest team in the country and getting out job done.
On Jaylen McClain through the season
His playing is physical, You can feel his presence when he is out there, we say it all the time you have to be felt when you’re on the field with your physicality the way you play, and that’s the way he is. I think he feeds off of Caleb they work together they communicate well, he’s playing good football, he plays on special teams, he’s a smart player and good ball skills all of the above. He’s a major part of our defense so, maybe he wasn’t a household name coming into the season but is one now.
On senior game
It means a lot to me. I think the past four years flew by, so, just trying to take in each and every moment.
On what the senior class should be remembered for
Good men, good teammates. I think a lot of guys on this team are gonna end up being great fathers, great husbands, and stuff like that, and obviously you want to be remembered as national champions. Hopefully we can achieve all of our goals this year and be the first team in Ohio State history to be back to back, but I think it's bigger than football and I think a lot of other guys will say the same thing.
On Lorenzo’s play Saturday
Yeah, I was super excited for him because I know he's been waiting on that moment. He's kind of been in and out of the lineup as a returner, so he's been waiting for his chance and he got it and he made the most of it. I was super excited for him.
On goals for remainder of the season:
I think we have a lot of goals ahead of us and we want to beat the team up North. Obviously you want to get to Indy. No one's been to Indy. No one's beat the team up North. No one here has been a back to back national champion. So there's a lot of goals to achieve here and obviously the big one that's coming up, but guys are just focused. We know there's a lot of other good teams out there. We know that, like I said, if you cut corners, somebody's going to get you. They might not get you now, but they're going to get you later.
On how he would describe the years he has been here at Ohio State
Definitely is a lot faster than I anticipated. I mean it has been nothing short of awesome. I loved every second here being a Buckeye and I would not change anything about it.
On his personal growth within these four years
Definitely with Coach Mick starting, he truly turned me into the person I am today, just with leadership, mentality, everything I would have never thought I would have turned into. Coach Day pushing me every day. Coach Johnson making sure I take every little detail into account, so there’s really so many people that kind of change your whole life and you don’t even realize it.
On what he has gotten out of college
When you come to college, I feel like you already have figured out what’s going to happen and how it is going to happen and then when you actually get the realization of how hard it is here and being at this top tier place, there’s so much work that is actually being put in, not just showing up and it’ll happen. Being able to go through the grind factor, I feel like it has changed me and showed me that good stuff doesn’t come easy, and it has turned me into the player I am today.
On what he wants his class to be remembered by here at Ohio State
I mean, our class, or what is left of it, has gone through adversity and stuff like that, so to be remembered as a great class, and giving everything they had to the program, so hopefully walking away with some hardware of our own, we will be special.
On his love for Columbus and this football program
Its special, I couldn't see myself any other place, I love it here, my family loves it here, its been a great opportunity to come down and compete, and play for a national championship, so I think the guys that stayed out here and stuck it out, they feel the exact way, so especially you kind of grow that bond together because you have been through that adversity together.
On how they are thinking mentally as an offensive line, as the running backs are seeing things better
It makes it a lot more fun to block, it's a young group, so those guys are getting the experience and going out there, and you know, I do not like running, but I'm cool if it is running after one of our running backs. So it is a pretty good opportunity for those guys to not only hit their plays and make their plays, but for us as well, because now we can kind of understand, ok, on this block, how should I press it based on where I know where the backs are going to go.
On his health
I am feeling amazing. The week prior it was a little test week to make sure everything was going good and stuff. I played in the night game and it just felt good being out there with my guys again.
On how he would describe his year
I feel like I am playing better than I have ever played before. I am just trusting the process, trusting the journey, and just keep playing, keep grinding, keep learning and keep executing.
On his time here at Ohio State was and is it what he hoped it would be
Yes, it’s everything I expected it to be. When I first came in, I had high hopes for myself playing right away but obviously it did not play out as I thought it was but that was God’s timing, and I just kept learning from people before me and just taking from their game to see what I need to improve in my own game and then everything else is history.
On focus from the team
We know that it’s another game that we have to play and it’s something in our way to get to Indy. We want to get to Indy, we haven’t been to Indy since I’ve been here, and that’s a huge part of our goals is to get to Indy and win
On emotions of being senior day on Saturday
Kind of sweet, but kind of sad at the same time. Playing at the shoe is a really special place to play, playing Infront of all those fans is really special to me. I’ve built quite the connection with it, so it will be a cool but sad day.
On how the team wants to be remembered this season
National Champions, and we want to go and do it our own way. We had the guy’s last year, they were fantastic great people, showed us how to do it. Now it’s out turn to go win it as seniors again.
On how do you want this senior class to be remembered
The first team to go back to back. I think, is the ultimate goal, and I just think we have a ton of goals ahead of us. So I guess only time will tell.
On having senior day with so much football left ot play
It's definitely weird because like it's definitely not like a deep breath or anything like that because we got like the most challenging part of our season's coming up. So I think we're all locked in. I think we all understand that.
On if he plans to take an extra moment Saturday
Absolutely, because we go out there every weekend and especially at home, like our fans, our crowd, our stadium is unreal, so obviously I'm going to miss that, but we just got to keep doing our thing.”
On this upcoming game Saturday:
I think we're always getting better like day after day. Like I said earlier, our confidence as a whole, I think is really turning up a notch. Just like trusting our running backs, our quarterback, the person next to you on the line, and the rest of the tight end room. I think we just get better every week and it just allows us to, play confident.
On the last home game and his thoughts
I am excited. Reflecting on my college career, everything we have here. I’m excited, all the guys are playing for the older guys this weekend. I have like seventeen people in my family coming, so it is going to be a good one for me and my brother walking together.
On what it means for him to be doing this with his brother
It means a lot. I would have never thought me and my brother would be walking the same senior day but seeing him walking and coming together is a blessing. Everything is coming together, how it is supposed to be.
On how the team has not been to Indianapolis yet and how is that a motivator for them:
It is a huge motivator, that has been one of the goals since the beginning of the year. That is something we always talk about, and we have some games that’s still on the way for us to be there. So being able to play in that environment, it is going to mean a lot to the program to win that game.
