Ohio State entered the 2025 season with few bigger returnees than junior safety Caleb Downs.
Coming off a dominant 2024 campaign in which he helped anchor the Buckeyes’ national championship defense, Downs
returned as one of the nation’s most elite defenders, a preseason All-American and a projected top-10 NFL Draft pick.
Over the course of the season, he not only met those expectations he exceeded them, emerging as the best safety in the country and arguably one of the most impactful defensive players in college football. His influence went far beyond the box score and into the very identity of Ohio State’s defense.
A season built on excellence
From the opening weeks of the 2025 campaign, Downs demonstrated why he was one of the most feared defenders in the country. Statistically, he finished with 60 total tackles (40 solo), five tackles for loss, a quarterback sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry while playing a remarkably versatile role in Ohio State’s defense.
Downs’ instincts, range, and physicality allowed him to impact all three levels of the defense. In coverage he erased space, in the box he delivered game changing run stops, and his awareness consistently prevented big plays before they could even develop. Opposing quarterbacks treated his presence with respect, knowing that targeting his side of the field was risking it.
His leadership as a team captain also helped mold a unit that defended the pass at an elite level and rarely surrendered explosive plays.
Awards season and national recognition
Caleb Downs capped his season with a haul of the most prestigious honors available to a defensive back. He won the Lott Impact Trophy, recognizing not just elite play on the field but leadership, integrity, and community contribution, becoming only the second Buckeye to ever win the award.
Downs followed that up by winning the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back, joining elite Ohio State alumni such as Antoine Winfield and Malcolm Jenkins in the program’s history books.
In addition to those awards, Downs was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, and earned first-team All-America honors across every major selector. That level of recognition confirms what analysts, coaches and teammates have known all season.
At a time when Ohio State’s defense was the heartbeat and backbone of the team, Downs was the engine driving it.
Beyond the stats, a complete defensive force
Caleb Downs’ influence cannot be fully summarized by tackles or interceptions alone. His game intelligence, ability to disguise looks, and leadership under Matt Patricia’s scheme helped Ohio State rank at or near the top nationally in total defense, scoring defense and passing yardage allowed.
Opponents struggled to move the ball consistently against the Buckeyes, and only a handful ever managed more than 200 passing yards in a game, a testament to how disruptive and disciplined this defense was with Downs patrolling the secondary.
NFL future and legacy
With the 2026 NFL Draft looming, Downs enters the conversation as one of the most coveted defensive prospects in the entire class. Analysts widely project him as a top-10 selection, a rare distinction for a safety and a testament to his combination of physical attributes, instincts, leadership, and production against elite competition.
For Ohio State fans, the legacy Downs leaves in Columbus after this season is already clear. He was not just one of the best safeties in the country, he was perhaps the best defensive back overall.
Whether or not his career includes All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors at the next level, he will be remembered as one of the most dominant defensive forces in Buckeye history — a player whose presence elevated everyone around him and whose impact defined one of the program’s most formidable defenses.
