Ryan Day previews what Caleb Downs brings to Ohio State defense
Ohio State‘s offseason transfer portal haul was headlined by former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, the freshman All-American who was ranked as the top player in the portal according to On3’s 2024 College Football Transfer Portal Top Player Rankings.
The Buckeyes showed tremendous defensive improvement last year, but the addition of Downs could help take them to an even higher level in 2024. And during his Wednesday press conference, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day spoke about the impact Downs has already had and will continue having in Columbus moving forward.
“You saw what he did as a freshman, to say we’re all excited to have him a part of the program is an understatement,” Day said. “He brings a lot to the table, you guys will learn to that. I won’t get into all that right now, but his talent is exceptional. But he’s already created an unbelievable amount of discipline in his life, he’s created the skills to play the safety position at a high level.”
Downs was a highly touted high school recruit, a five-star prospect ranked No. 5 overall player in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking. But he lived up to that hype and some the most impactful true freshman in the country, taking home awards like the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year, the SEC Freshman of the Year, and the SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Accolades like that could put a target on the back of a player entering a new program, but Day insists that Downs’ presence has only heightened the competitive of the Buckeyes’ secondary.
“But I’ll tell you, it’s fun because that secondary, I mean they’re competitive now. Like they’re not gonna take a backseat to anybody. So everyone sat up a little straighter when he walked in and that was good,” Day smiled and said. “But they embraced him, he knows those guys through the recruiting process so it’s gonna be some great competition this spring. But he is very very talented, and what’d he have, 107 tackles as a freshman in the SEC? My goodness.”
Downs’ 107 tackles last season made him the first freshman to lead Alabama in tackles in program history. And his play overall made one reporter ask if he’s a surefire, day-one starter for the Buckeyes next season.
“Well I mean as a freshman All-American, I think he was a second-team All-American, so he will certainly be hard to beat out,” Day admitted. “But hey, you gotta come and compete, you gotta earn it, nothing’s gonna be given, nothing has ever been given. I mean that goes back to when Justin came in, Justin Fields, he had to go earn it and we’re not gonna change that here at Ohio State.”
Day stayed true to the Buckeyes’ tradition of having to compete and earn a spot on the field. But he also couldn’t help but crack a smile when talking about the potential opportunities that present themselves by now having one of the most versatile players in the nation on his roster.
“Now, he’s tremendously talented and excited to make sure we give him as many opportunities as he possibly can in all different areas too. You saw him as a punt returner, I watched him play in a high school game against Buford and he was running the ball, so even talked about that as maybe lining him up and different things,” Day said.
“So there’ll be a lot of opportunity next year for Caleb Downs.”