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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Caleb Downs Gifts Beats to the Entire Ohio State Football Team During Preseason Camp
Caleb Downs gifted Beats to the entire Ohio State football team and thanked the Buckeyes for letting him "come into The Brotherhood this year."
"I seriously appreciate y’all for letting me come into The Brotherhood this year. From the bottom of my heart, it means everything,” Downs said. "But we got a job to do. ... We had a good camp. We had a good spring. We had a good summer. Let’s go do what we’re supposed to do.”
When Downs completed his speech, he unboxed the exclusive Beats and showed them to his teammates. Those teammates then swarmed Downs while cheering and moshing.
Just sayin': Cool thing to do. He's definitely part of the "brotherhood".
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Caleb Downs could be Ohio State’s most impactful newcomer
The Alabama transfer should elevate the Buckeye secondary to another level.Of all of Ohio State’s transfer portal and freshman arrivals, perhaps the most intriguing one is safety Caleb Downs. The Alabama transfer is coming off a monster freshman season in Tuscaloosa, which led to him being the No. 1 ranked transfer portal player this past offseason.
In 2023, Downs became the first Alabama freshman in history to lead the team in tackles (107). He had a knack for big plays, too, finishing the season with 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. His two interceptions placed him second on the Crimson Tide.
Despite his importance to the defense, he was too good to keep off the special teams unit. Downs returned four punts with a 21.75-yard average and scored a touchdown.
After his first year of college football, Downs was named the Shaun Alexander national freshman of the year, a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus, a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and The Sporting News, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and made the All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC teams.
His talent is undeniable on both sides of the ball, and Ohio State even gave him practice reps at running back in March and April spring practices as a contingency plan for the fall in case he’s needed on offense.
Downs’ pedigree is also unquestioned, as his father, Gary Downs, played running back in the NFL for the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, while his uncle is former Pro Bowl defensive back Dre Bly. He was heavily recruited by every major program in the country coming out of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia, where he was a five-star recruit and one of the nation’s top prospects, receiving scholarship offers from more than 30 schools.
People around the country are expecting big things from Downs at Ohio State, as he was one of four Buckeyes named to the preseason All-American list in August.
A January transfer, Downs was outspoken about his reasons for wanting to join the Buckeyes — a team that was in his original final five coming out of high school, along with Bama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Georgia.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ronnie Lott is Caleb Downs' favorite player, plus four other things I learned about Ohio State's newest star
In this age of all-me, NIL money-grubbing it was nice to meet a player who has it all together
www.cbssports.com
Ronnie Lott is Caleb Downs' favorite player, plus four other things I learned about Ohio State's newest star
In this age of all-me, NIL money-grubbing it was nice to meet a player who has it all together
n late-July, I made a familiar trek to Columbus to check out a player who's expected to take college football by storm this fall and serve as the microcosm of the era we're in: Sophomore safety Caleb Downs. Ohio State fans are certainly well-versed in all things Downs, who was the No. 1 transfer this offseason, but my goal was to tell an overarching story for a wider audience at CBSSports.com: Spiritual journey guides Caleb Downs to Ohio State as centerpiece of Buckeyes' offseason haul.
In my reporting, I was given access to Downs, coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. I also spoke to Caleb's father, Gary, and former Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith for more context on Ohio State's portal and NIL push.
Here are five things I learned.
What I thought of Caleb Downs
Simple: A buttoned-down, already-accomplished veteran (only a sophomore) who sees not only the field but the future in front of him. He has the respect of the staff and his teammates. He's in the perfect place for his future, considering the coach of his former team (Nick Saban) retired. Ohio State has arguably the best defense in the country. I thought it was unique that his favorite player is Ronnie Lott, a legend who retired almost 30 years ago. How many 19-year-olds know who Ronnie Lott is? If Ohio State chooses, Downs could become a low-key Travis Hunter. He probably won't, although Downs will be used as a running back sporadically. But imagine the Heisman juice this kid would get if he played 100 snaps per game. In this age of all-me, NIL money-grubbing it was nice to meet a player who has it all together. I'm not saying Downs didn't get a nice NIL bump, that didn't seem to be the motivating factor. At least I haven't seen his Bentley yet.Why Caleb Downs transferred
Nick Saban retired. It's as simple as that. Ohio State finished a close second when Downs came out of high school as a top-10 recruit. So close, the Buckeyes were, that Downs cried when telling OSU coach Ryan Day of his decision. So close that Downs' father Gary said the "voice of God" was the difference in guiding his son to Bama. The uncertainty after the GOAT retired was too much even after a freshman All-American season at Bama. Also, Alabama cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson departed (for Georgia). The player and coach were close. The family was already close to OSU secondary coach Tim Walton.What makes Caleb Downs special
Vision, speed, toughness. Downs led Alabama in tackles (107) as a freshman. That was the most by an Alabama freshman since at least 1970. OSU DC Jim Knowles said Downs "takes the meeting room to the field." OSU OC Chip Kelly relayed this nugget: "You'll talk to him after practice and he'll say, 'You gave us this formation. That was new. That was hard.' I'm always trying to get feedback from him."Caleb Downs' offensive potential?
Unlimited, if Day really wanted to unleash him. Downs did everything in high school – rushing, receiving, kick returns, defense. As it stands Downs has worked out with the offense and a package has been put in with him as a running back. "Sometimes you can see a kid who has a ton of athletic ability but is he going to be able to handle playing defense, playing special teams, coming over and having a package on offense," Kelly said. "Caleb could in a second." The guess here is that Downs will be inserted for a few plays each game as, if nothing else, a decoy. His ability as a punt returner will also make him one of the best in the country. Last year he returned only four punts but scored on one of them while averaging 21.5 yards..
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ohio State football player Caleb Downs is like a line from Ted Lasso
The new Ohio State safety is going to show fans why he's lauded as one of the best safeties in the country.
scarletandgame.com
Ohio State football player Caleb Downs is like a line from Ted Lasso
The new Ohio State safety is going to show fans why he's lauded as one of the best safeties in the country.
If you’re familiar with Ted Lasso, the wildly popular show about an American college football coach hired to manage a British soccer team, you know that every time the gruff but likable character Roy Kent entered a game, fans would chant, “He’s here, he’s there, he’s every…” I’ll let you figure out the rest if you don’t already know. That chant could easily be used for safety Caleb Downs, who seemingly lined up just about everywhere for the Buckeye defense against Akron.
In an article published on Bucknuts, Patrick Murphy points out that Pro Football Focus had Downs lining up in four different places. They credited him 25 snaps at his usual free safety spot, 20 in the box, six at slot corner, and four down along the line of scrimmage. “He’s here, he’s there” definitely applies.
So, what does all of that mean? Downs’ versatility allows OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to keep the offense guessing. If he wants to put an extra defender in the box or near the line of scrimmage, Knowles doesn’t have to tip his hand by bringing in a substitute.
It will force the offense to take the time to change their blocking scheme at the line of scrimmage. In passing situations, is he blitzing or dropping into coverage? Moving Downs around is going to create a nightmare for an offense trying to prepare for the Buckeyes.
As a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, Downs nearly chose Ohio State but settled on Alabama. As a true freshman, he won the starting job in preseason camp and ended the season as the Tide’s leading tackler with 40 more stops than his nearest teammate.
He was considered the top player in the portal when he decided to transfer. Against Akron, he had only two stops and missed a couple of tackles, but he also had a half of a sack. Don’t overreact to those somewhat pedestrian stats, Downs is a gem who just might be the best player in the country regardless of position- he’s a playmaker and a game-changer.
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