Buckeyes Take the Mic Following Thursday's Practice
8/20/2026 1:03:00 PM | Football
On being back on the field after missing the Spring:
"It felt amazing, just coming back and doing what I love. Being out there with my guys and playing for the Block O, it's amazing."
On the impact he can make on defense:
"I think I can make a good impact. I know Coach Patricia is going to put me in the right places to use my abilities to [their maximum] capacity. I feel like I will make a really good effect this year."
Pettijohn's strengths he can bring to this unit:
"I think just being able to play sideline to sideline, in the box, rush to passer; I feel like I do a lot of things."
The differences in the defense this year:
"We're always going to fly around - that's the standard and it's going to be the standard. [We have] different guys playing who play different ways, but otherwise we're going to be the silver bullets."
On the biggest change for him personally going into this season:
“It’s really like just believe in yourself more…both confidence and understanding the system. Coming out of high school, you expect to come in and make plays but then you get here [and] sometimes you get punched in the mouth. Sometimes it’s like you [have] to sit back and reflect on that.”
On what he learned from Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese:
“They both were very smart, very tough. I feel like from Sonny I just learned understanding the game so much like the way he sees things and things like that. And Arvell…it’s just like watching him you’re like dang he just hit that dude in the mouth like that. I [have to] to the same thing. So I learned a lot from both of them.”
On Coach Patricia as a teacher:
“He teaches you a lot. It’s just so much you can learn from him from being in the league and stuff like that. The way he describes things about the offensive personnel, the way they motion players to set up certain plays and how they could motion them a different way to set up the same play but try to hide it. It’s just crazy to learn from that.”
On getting acclimated to Ohio State:
“It’s been great, it all started with coach Mick, in the weight room getting me ready…getting acclimated to coach Patricia and coach Laurinaitis' defense, so it’s been good and it’s been a good transition.”
On connections of the line back units:
“I think it's awesome. You know, especially when you're lifting with other linebackers in your linebacker unit, or you're lifting with other defensive backs, you get to grow that connection, making a joke here and there. And next thing you know, they start trusting more and more, and then once you get on that field, I know I have their back because I know they have my back.”
On past linebackers of Ohio State:
“Honestly it’s mind blowing how many good players have been here,if you walk into the linebacker room it has every single player in the past. You just walk in there like wow there been so many good players here at Ohio State and it just shows you the standards that are here and you have to live up to it.”
On what is motivating him this season:
“[We want to] improve…we have seen some major improvements from last season. We just want to make sure we put our all out there and make the plays we need to make”
On improving his play style:
“Just staying focused throughout the game and on every play and just moving onto the next.”
On coming in with confidence:
“Confidence is probably the number one trait you need as a defensive back. You need to have confidence in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.”
