The Opening Drive 1/12: Addressing the Secondary with Earl Little Jr.
A proven body in the DB room who brings snaps, maturity, and versatility.
Coming into transfer portal season, it was clear the Buckeyes were facing a major hole on the back end with the departure of Caleb Downs. Everyone understands what Downs brought to this defense — production, versatility, communication, and trust. Add in the loss of Lorenzo Styles, along with Bryce West and Faheem Delane entering the transfer portal, and suddenly you’re looking at a safety room in need of immediate, experienced support.
That’s where Earl Little Jr. comes into play.
When Little entered the portal, it made sense for the Buckeyes to take a long, hard look. Standing at 6-foot-1 and around 200 pounds, Little brings size, range, and — most importantly — real playing experience. This past season, he earned Second Team All-ACC honors, finishing with 76 tackles and four interceptions — production that reflects both usage and impact.
For Matt Patricia, Little checks multiple boxes. He offers versatility on the back end, proven playmaking ability, physicality in the run game, range in coverage, and the communication skills needed to organize the secondary. Those traits don’t just fill a spot — they stabilize a room.
Let’s dive into the tape and the data so you can see it for yourself.
What Shows Up on Tape
In clip #1, Earl Little Jr. is aligned as the Seminoles’ Rover — a role typically reserved for the player the staff trusts most as an instinctive playmaker. In this coverage (three-high Tampa 2), the Rover is given freedom to play downhill and aggressive in the run game.
That trust shows up immediately. There is zero hesitation. Once Little diagnoses the run, he triggers like he’s shot out of a cannon and finishes with authority. This is exactly how the position is designed to function.
Think about how often Caleb Downs was used in the box and how effective he was against the run. Little has the skill set to fill a similar role — aggressive, decisive, and physical near the line of scrimmage — within the structure of this defense.
In clip #2, we see a similar picture. Earl Little Jr. again rolls down into the box to fit the run. This time, the flow is away from him, so the job becomes working over the top to close space and finish. He does exactly that — patient with his angle, decisive once he commits.
This usage mirrors how Caleb Downs has been deployed over the past two seasons. It’s controlled aggression, with trust in instincts and range. The ability to trigger downhill or work over the top without hesitation is critical in these structures.
With Little and returning safety Jaylen McClain being interchangeable in these roles, Matt Patricia gains flexibility. That versatility opens the door for more disguise, more late movement, and more ways to stress offenses before and after the snap.
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In the first two clips, we highlighted Earl Little Jr.’s ability to fit the run. In clip #3, we see the other side of his game — coverage ability.
Safeties in Coach Patricia’s defense have to cover ground. Whether it’s playing the post in Cover 3, running the pole in Tampa 2, or handling the half in Cover 2, you’re asked to do it all. That versatility isn’t optional.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White demands the same from his safeties. In this clip, Little does an excellent job staying on top of the post in a Cover 3 variation — disciplined with his depth, patient with his eyes, and in position to eliminate explosive plays.
In the final clip, it’s important to highlight range and playmaking ability — something this defense needs more of. This is where Earl Little Jr. really separates himself.
Against Stanford, Little is tasked with playing the true deep half, and the range shows up immediately. He covers a significant amount of ground, stays disciplined with his depth, and closes space late. When the ball goes up, he transitions from defender to receiver and attacks it at the catch point.
That’s ball-hawking behavior. That’s finishing plays on the back end.
Safeties who can play top-down, eliminate explosives, and make the quarterback pay for mistakes change games. This rep shows exactly why Little brings real value — range you can trust and playmaking you can build around.
Why This Addition Works
Earl Little Jr. checks boxes Ohio State needs checked right now. Experience. Versatility. Playmaking. He’s played real snaps in a system that demands safeties fit the run, cover ground, communicate, and finish the play — the same asks that exist in Coach Patricia’s structure.
This isn’t a projection add. This is a functional fit. Little allows the Buckeyes to replace lost production, restore flexibility on the back end, and expand disguise without sacrificing reliability. He can play in the box, rotate late, cover the deep half, and go get the football when it’s in the air.
Bottom line: this addition raises the floor of the safety room, restores confidence on the back end, and gives the staff more answers than questions.
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