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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Matt Tamanini/Staff: "It's good to have a teammate with cool NIL deals"
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After the re-watch, this is just an incredibly smart, instinctive football player. Getting guys lined up, making plays, literally total control of game situations.
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restless
Chinese Buckeye in New Zealand!
Love that he doesn't need to be the one doing the tackles and still is in full control of the game. He may not get a single player of the game honor the whole season, and yet no one can deny he is THE most important defensive player on the field. So so impressed!!!
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JohnnyCockfight
Beer is God's proof that he loves us.
Downs is professional in everything that he does. From the on-field corrections he was making for Devin Sanchez to the game-sealing tackle, he is both a coach and elite player at the same time.
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With 'old soul' Caleb Downs paving the way, Ohio State's defense is off to a historic start
Caleb Downs is a moving chess piece on a unit that is demoralizing teams. But off the field, his interests may surprise you.Story by
https://sports.yahoo.com/
Ross DellengerSenior College Football Reporter
Wed, October 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM EDT·
9 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — On a recent day, Caleb Downs, Ohio State’s All-American and projected NFL first-round draft pick, approached the school’s athletic director here with an unusual request.
It didn’t involve revenue-share, NIL compensation or transferring.
“He wanted to shadow me in my job,” Ross Bjork said.
Downs is different from most other players here. He’s 20 going on 40, a college football player destined to one day be a business executive, an athletic freak determined to be a real-estate magnate.
One coach here describes Downs as having an “elite mind” that goes well beyond football. For fun, he reads financial and economic literary works, has become an investor in stocks, private equity and property, and is so interested in wrist watches and expensive cars that, instead of owning several, he bought into watch and car companies, says his father, Gary.
Caleb is inquisitive and curious, always searching for the why in his everyday life. He’s been baptized twice, in fact, once at age 5 and then again last year after Caleb told his father that he wanted to receive the blessing while old enough to actually understand it.
He began holding full-blown conversations with adults at age 4, determined at age 5 the name of his future son (Samuel), and began studying football film of his upcoming youth league opponents at age 7.
If this all seems abnormal, it is.
Wait until you hear what music he listens to: Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige and New Edition.
“Everybody tells me that I’m an ‘old soul,’” Downs said. “I like old-school music and things like that.”
Do his teammates listen with him? No.
“But the strength staff does,” he said laughing.
With 'old soul' Caleb Downs paving the way, Ohio State's defense is off to a historic start
On the field, Caleb Downs is a moving chess piece on a defense that is demoralizing opposing teams. Off the field, Downs' interests include financial literary works, investing in real estate and listening to Michael Jackson.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
These stats give even more proof that Caleb Downs is the best DB in college football
There are so many highlights to Ohio State's defense, it is hard to keep track of all of the players, but there is one that seems to be standing out just a litt
scarletandgame.com
These stats give even more proof that Caleb Downs is the best DB in college football
Caleb Downs has made it hard on opposing teams, especially opposing wide receivers and quarterbacks.
There are so many highlights to Ohio State's defense, it is hard to keep track of all of the players, but there is one that seems to be standing out just a little bit more than the rest. Junior safety Caleb Downs has had a phenomenal season so far for the Buckeyes in his second year at Ohio State.
So far in his second season with the Buckeyes, Downs has a total of 19 tackles, 11 solo tackles, and one interception. The takeaways are not as high right now, but that is also because quarterbacks don't want to target Downs or the receivers he is covering because he has such good coverage on them.
According to PFF, Pro Football Focus, Downs has only allowed 21 yards to receivers he has covered; he has not allowed a single touchdown, quarterbacks have an average 27.4 passer rating when they have targeted the receivers he has covered, and he has an 88.5 coverage grade.
Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs This Season:
Downs has been key to Ohio State's defense being so dominant this season. When Downs is able to take over a third of the field away from quarterbacks, that leaves less for a quarterback to deal with. If the opposing quarterback can't feel comfortable throwing the ball, it forces the offense to run the ball more, which the Buckeyes are also comfortable stopping.
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