Buckeyes Meet With Media Following April 2 Practice
4/2/2026 10:12:00 AM | Football
On the Linebacker room that he created
You know Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese obviously that's It's a good looking room. Those guys worked so hard and they got drastically better as the season went on. The standard was always to try to get our room to a point where you felt a healthy amount of pressure to perform. In the sense of if I have a bad day or two, I could be passed up by the next guy because of the talent level in the room. I constantly want that grittiness to it. Because I certainly felt it when I was here. I'll never forget going into junior year being asked about Ross Homan from Coldwater by you guys. I'll never forget Mark Johnson and coming from LA and the hype around Mark. But it was used as motivation. These kids now they see it. They all know each other based on the recruiting game that has blown up even more. I think it's healthy because what it does is it. You find out the mental toughness of your room. You got to see who can perform under pressure and then who's going to make a play when their number's called. And then what does that do? That prepares them across the board for that when they do get an opportunity to go to the National Football League. They're not intimidated by the room and having to make a play in high-pressure situations because they've already been through it here at Ohio State. If you're Sonny or Arvell and you're about to go up there, those guys were used to being in a room with Cody Simon, was used to being in a room with Tommy Eichenberg. I think that's the way that you kind of envision it is that now it's time for these guys in this room. Payton being the most experienced to see what they can do and run off with it.
On Payton Pierce
You saw it with Payton Pierce when you recruited him. You knew what he was about; tough and instinctual. I started recruiting him when I was at Notre Dame. That's when I had awareness of Payton and we actually had him come up to South Bend. Then I took the job and came back home. It was one of the first phone calls I made. I was just trying to get them on campus, and the reason being was you knew how instinctual and tough he was and he was a throwback Mike linebacker. And the thing that's great about Payton is he's so competitive and he's a perfectionist and all those things as you should be as a Mike. He's been trying to nip at the heels over and over, and honestly, I think that he has pushed the guys in front of him because of how hard he practices. He earned the respect of everybody right away freshman year with how physical he was in the box, and now it's fun to kind of see him find his voice even more. I was comfortable playing Payton last year in big moments. It was good to get a healthy rotation in with him, Arvell, and Sonny.
On his leadership
I feel like I’ve done a good job this past winter leading. It takes time. You have to build trust with all the new guys. The guys who have been here know who I am and what I am about but you have to build trust with the new guys. I feel like I have done a really good job with that. Being the green dot out there. Getting guys lined up. I just have to keep getting better. Our coaches have done a great job with me and helping me with my leadership and learning from everyone. It’s been really fun.
On growing with this new team
You have a lot of new guys. You have to learn different terminology. You have young guys coming in who don't know anything and guys are stepping into new leadership roles. I think it's just coming together and helping the young guys out. The young guys just pouring in trying to learn as much as they can, and I feel like we've done a really good job, especially in our room. Everyone is real close, and we got a really tight group.
On stepping up
I considered myself as leader since I was really young. I was a two time captain of my high school team. I felt like there were opportunities even in my freshman year I could lead the freshman guys. I feel like l've done a good job of leading up until now. Obviously, my leadership role stepped up even more with the whole team. l've learned from the best. Sonny Styles, Cody Simon, and Arvell Reese. Even before I got here, Tommy Eichenberg. They were some of the best leaders. And even guys on the offense. I was here with Emeka Egbuka, Treveyon Henderson, and Will Howard, who wasn't a captain, but he was a leader. I got to learn from so many great people and even our coaches are great leaders. I get to be around the best of the best. I just feel like I've done a pretty good job. I've got to get better and obviously will keep doing it.
On why he chose to go to Ohio State
I think ultimately, you know, I just wanted somewhere that could help me get to the next level. Obviously, Ohio State has the best players, best coaches, so that was kind of a no-brainer.”
On talking about potentially following in Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese footsteps
It is super exciting, I think those guys kind of paved the way for linebackers at Ohio State, last year I kind of saw that, and I am going to see. Obviously, that is a lot to live up to, but I am going to try my best for sure.
On what he has learned from Coach Laurinaitis has made him a better football player
I think just how long he played the game, how long he played in the NFL, I think he was one of the first coaches I have really been around that has been in the game for such a long time. He knows all the ins and outs, all the little details of football, especially as a linebacker, obviously he has been a great mentor for sure.
When asked about the biggest difference of where he is now and where he was this time last year
I feel like I’m just more confident, more knowledgeable about the system and what offense is doing right now. I feel like I have shown that I deserve to play, and I feel like I have shown that I pay attention and I have grown a lot.
When asked about on how he has been reading things a lot faster
Yeah, I feel like it just helps you play better, and helps you play faster. Coach B always tells us that if you were able to know what offense is doing , you are able to be there before they would make a play.
When asked about the competition
There’s a lot of competition; we got dogs everywhere. We have Payton, the old guy. Christian just coming in. He’s a dog. We got Stover, Eli and we got the young guys behind us just pushing us to be better every day.
When asked about how much of a step Nate Roberts has taken this off season
He’s taken quite a bit of step, and it started in the weight room. Every day we are competing in there and Nate was far and away when top rank came out of winter and that’s why he got the first crack at it when we got to spring. Now he’s got to keep improving, but we have high expectations. No one has higher expectations then he does for himself and I’m proud of how its progressing.
When asked what Aruther Smith has been like so far
Yeah, he’s been awesome. Coach Smith is somebody I’ve known for a couple of years, so when this whole thing went down and Coach Day started floating around some names, when I heard that one, I got excited. I was super excited it went down the way it did. So, I get to learn from him and he’s bringing in different ideas. He’s been a pleasure to work with an learn from and at the end of the day he also coached tight ends in the NFL so anytime he’s free, I’m telling him to please come to my meetings and sit in so I can learn from him. It’s been awesome.
When asked if it's common to have high expectations for Nate Roberts as a sophomore
I think Nate’s standards, just like the other guys in the room, would be. I’m not going to recruit someone whose expectation is not to be the best in the country period. For a while it was you say that and it goes one ear out the other, but really the only program in the nation that will have two tight ends draft this month. Like the expectation is to come here, be the best tight end in the country, be the best tight end room in the country and then go on and play in the NFL.
On talking about Arthur Smith and what he has done for the program so far
He is a great coach and just being able to listen to him and how he runs his offense, and knowing that he has been at every single level and he is just a smart guy, he teaches us and helps us with our footwork and some of our routes, just because he has been through the game for so long, but just listening to his offense and being in it for a couple weeks now, I really enjoy it. I love it, I love his offense, and I know it will help me for the next level.
On the biggest thing he had to learn was adjusting to the college game as a blocker
I think just technique was such an important thing at the next level because these dudes are the best in the nation, like especially these Big 10 defensive ends are big dudes, so I had to learn how to play with my leverage and have a great technique against these guys because that was really the only way, that I was going to win, because I have not heavier than those guys. So just straining, as hard as I could, and having the right technique.
