Post-OSU Update: Pat Elflein was a third round pick (70th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft. After three relatively healthy years starting for the Vikings, Elflein began experiencing consistent injuries since 2020. When healthy, he has been a starter for the Jets and Carolina, and is currently on injured reserve for the Arizona Cardinals. (updated: Dec. 2023)

Pronunciation: ELF-line

Major: Communications (2014-16), Undeclared (2013)

Weight: 300 (2014-16), 293 (2013), 290 (2012)

2016 Media Guide: Pat Elflein has been named one of the team’s captains for the 2016 season by head coach Urban Meyer, and he will be a center of attention for an Ohio State offense that returns just three starters from a year ago … a fifth-year graduate – he received his degree in communications in May 2016 – Elflein will be starting for a third consecutive season on the offensive line … he is a veteran of 42
games and 29 starts … he is a physical, no-nonsense young man who is personable, an excellent team representative and regarded by coaches as one of the top centers in the country this season … he is a two-time first-team all-Big Ten Conference guard who is moving to center this season to diversify and because it’s the position he’ll most likely play in the NFL … Elflein’s solid character is represented in the fact he is a two-time “Iron Buckeye” award winner, which is awarded to six players bi-annually for unquestioned physical training dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership … he has played on offensive lines that boast the top two yards per carry averages in school history: 6.8 yards in 2013 and 5.7 yards in 2014 … a fine student, he earned three OSU Scholar-Athlete awards and one Academic All-Big Ten Conference honor prior to receiving his degree … he is a three-time Varsity O letterwinner.

2015: Elflein started all 13 games for the 12-1 Buckeyes, who capped their season with a 44-28 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl … named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and SI.com … named first-team all-Big Ten Conference by the league’s head coaches (for the second consecutive year) and also by the media … helped pave the way for Ohio State to lead the Big Ten in
rushing at 245.2 yards per game and finish second in the conference in scoring (35.7) and third in total offense (434.1) … helped Ohio State rush for 360 yards in the win at Virginia Tech, 369 yards at Michigan and helped Ezekiel Elliott rush for 274 yards in the win at Indiana.

2015 Media Guide: Pat Elflein is a physical, no-nonsense young man who is personable, an excellent team representative and regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the country … he is a returning first-team all-Big Ten Conference guard who picked up preseason All-America consideration this summer from Athlon Sports and Phil Steele’s … Elflein’s solid character is represented in the fact he is a 2015 “Iron Buckeye” award winner, which is awarded to six players bi-annually for unquestioned physical training dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership.

2014: Elflein started all 15 games for the College Football Playoff national champions … opened the
season at left guard and started the first three games there, but moved to right guard for the final 12 games … helped the Buckeyes to a Top 10 national ranking in rushing (eighth) with just over 264 yards per game … the offense was outstanding all around, with school records for touchdowns (90), points scored (637), passing yards (3,707) and passing touchdowns (42) as well … Elflein was named first-team all-Big Ten Conference by the league’s coaches … he and his offensive line teammates paved the way for Ezekiel Elliott to become the first running back in school history to rush for 200 yards in consecutive games.

2014 Media Guide: Pat Elflein is expected to start at one guard position for the Buckeyes in 2014 … he is the only player outside of Taylor Decker slated to start on the offensive line … that’s a testament to Elflein’s fine play against Michigan and Michigan State last year and his season-long work as a back-up lineman.

2013: Elflein was a reserve lineman as a red-shirt freshman and played in all 14 games to earn his first Varsity O letter … he played 57 snaps on offense in Ohio State’s overwhelming win over Florida A&M and then had several series worth of offensive snaps vs. Penn State and Purdue before being called in to play three quarters against Michigan … his play against the Wolverines in the one-point win earned him the start in the Big Ten championship game vs. Michigan State … he played every snap vs. the Spartans.

2013 Media Guide: A foot injury in 2012 kept Elflein on the sidelines for much of the 2012 season and he ended up red-shirting as a true freshman … he practiced throughout the 2013 spring drills and is vying for playing time at center behind starter Corey Linsley … he also practiced some right tackle.

2012 Media Guide: Pat Elflein didn’t wrestle with his decision about which school to attend once he received a scholarship offer from Ohio State … as a result, the Buckeyes’ recruiting class has two of
the 2011 Associated Press first-team Division I all-state offensive linemen: Elflein and Jacoby Boren,
from cross-town school Pickerington Central … in Elflein, the No. 22 offensive guard prospect in the
nation by ESPNU and the No. 31 guard by Scout.com, the Buckeyes are getting a rock solid worker,
someone who has spent his summers pouring and breaking up concrete after already working through a full high school calendar year of sports and studies … a four-year football letterman and a two-time football team captain, Elflein earned 12 letters in his high school career, four each in the sports of football, wrestling and track and field … he has been named in football to all-Ohio Capital Conference, all-Central District and to the Dispatch’s all-Metro teams … he was the 2011 wrestler of the year in the OCC and was a state and national qualifier.

Personal: An older brother, Matt, played linebacker for Ohio Dominican … their parents are Lisa and Kenneth Elflein.