Ohio State Excels at Producing NFL Talent. Here’s the Key to Its Legendary Training Program.

How Ohio State Football Produces Top NFL TalentGetty Images

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THE 2026 NFL Draft will kick-off on April 23, and fans and pundits alike are eager to see how the first round of picks will shake out. Among the prospective athletes tabbed for the top 32 spots, one college program dominates: The Ohio State University. The Buckeyes will send five players to Pittsburgh to attend the draft—by far the most of any program and tied for as many players as the entire SEC—and four of those have been tabbed as potential top-10 picks: linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs, and wide receiver Carnell Tate (the fifth Buckeye slated to attend the draft, Kayden McDonald, is predicted to be selected in the back-half of the first round).

How did Ohio State turn into a pro football factory, even in a season that ended earlier than projected? Senior fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM-CPT visited the university last summer and shadowed their training for two days. He witnessed first-hand the effort, culture, and dedication that underlies the success of Ohio State’s strength program.

Williams joins Strong Talk to recount his experience at Ohio State with exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson and MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. In the Strong Talk episode, they also dive into the importance of competition, interviews with Styles and Downs, and how regular gym-goers can maximize effort in their workouts.

Williams says a combination of access to the best talent and resources gives OSU an advantage over most programs, but the real X-factor is the strong culture instilled though the strength and conditioning program. Coach Mickey Marotti (referred to by the players as ‘Coach Mick’) is the architect. Marotti has been with the Buckeyes since the 2012 season, and also served as strength coach for the Florida Gators during the Tebow years of the mid-2000s.

Williams watched as the Ohio State players were fully absorbed in their training. Williams played football growing up and professionally in Germany, and he says it was the first time he’s ever seen an entire team completely locked in on their training.

“Guys are often very focused during football practice, but during the weight room workouts, it's hard to stay focused that entire time,” Williams explains. “I was there as a reporter and they did know that somebody else was watching but they didn’t care. Those guys were focused and grinding.”

Samuel recalls from his experience training pro athletes that it is unusual for guys to stay completely focused through a workout. He recalls athletes would show up late and leave early.

How does a college coach get athletes motivated enough to go above and beyond? Williams says Ohio State starts with competition. “Everything was measured. They instill competition in almost everything they do,” he describes. “Every single workout ended with a competition.”

Then there’s the constant reminder of the legacy and potential each athlete can achieve in this program. To walk into the weight room, Williams says you have to pass through the trophy room. Photos of players who made it to the NFL also line the hallways. “It is a factory of motivation,” Williams describes. Along with motivating players, the program offers a wealth of support through athletic training staff, doctors, and sport scientists.

After speaking about linebacker Sonny Styles, Davidson notes that Ohio State accomplishes a feat trainers can struggle to achieve in athletes: increasing size without sacrificing speed. “The holy grail of training is to take a fast person and make them faster,” he explains. “Anyone can take someone and get them stronger. Easiest job in the world, but improving speed is incredibly difficult.”

There is scientific evidence that lifting could make you faster, Davidson says. However, when you’re dealing with someone who is naturally fast to begin with, strength training makes little difference. The only way to accomplish this feat is to build up the volume of running fast. Davidson says that is a complicated process.

“Anytime I hear that a program is able to take a very fast athlete and leave them faster when they're done with them, I say that's an absolute gold star,” Davidson says.

Want more deep-dive fitness wisdom from Samuel and other celebs and experts who've been on our Strong Talk podcast? Check out all our episodes here.

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