CFB analyst ditches James Franklin's DC Jim Knowles for rival Big Ten coach as Penn State aims to make mark in 2025

College football insider RJ Young made waves this week by predicting that Ohio State’s new defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, could outperform Penn State’s Jim Knowles. If it happens, it will be a major dent to James Franklin's Penn State unit as they went on out a limb to sign Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the national championship.

Patricia is coming off a wealth of experience in the NFL, serving in multiple positions for the New England Patriots and then the Philadelphia Eagles.

While giving out his five bold predictions in the Big Ten on his show, Young believes Patricia has a good roster on his hands, which he can take to new levels.

"I think Matt Patricia at Ohio State is going to have a better defense than Jim Knowles at Penn State," Young said (9:52 onwards). "Some of this is because I believe Ohio State has a better roster. I think they’re deeper on defense.

"I mean, when you have the privilege of having a guy like Devin Sanchez as your third cornerback, you’re pretty damn good. You’ve also got the pterodactyl—Caleb Downs—thinking whom he may destroy. He's in line for another outstanding season ... Matt Patricia—if nothing else—knows how to take a versatile player and make him even more versatile."

Meanwhile, when it comes to Knowles, he will be without standout defender Abdul Carter, who was picked in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

RJ Young thinks Matt Patricia's experience in NFL should help him

While serving in different coaching positions for the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia was part of three Super Bowl wins. As such, he has got championship-level experience, which, according to RJ Young, should help him in his next assignment.

"I think Matt Patricia’s background with New England is going to help him there," Young said. "Again, I don’t think New England ever had the most talented defense in the NFL.

"What they had was a guy who knew what to do with the pieces he had. Now, you’ve given him one of the best rosters in all of football—one of the best defenses—and said, ‘Hey, this defense was number one in the country last year. All we need you to do is run it.’"

Young added that only the upcoming game between Penn State and Ohio State will really give us the conclusion on who has a better handle on the respective defense.