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Ohio State

Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith named preseason first-team All-Americans

Spencer-Holbrookby: Spencer Holbrook07/02/25SpencerHolbrook
Caleb Downs
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

COLUMBUS — Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was a unanimous All-American last season. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was an All-American honoree by two different national outlets as a true freshman a year ago.

Both of them are expected to follow up that incredible 2024 season with a thrilling encore performance. Both Downs and Smith were named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation’s preseason All-American team on Tuesday, the first preseason All-American team to come out ahead of the 2025 college football season.

Downs, of course, is the best defensive player in college football entering this year, having already racked up a freshman All-American campaign at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State and earning that unanimous All-America honor last year with the Buckeyes. He was a major piece of the top-ranked defense that won the national championship. If he’s not an All-American again during his third season in the sport — and second at Ohio State, something would have to go wrong.

Smith is a different story. Despite showcasing himself as one of the premier receivers in the country immediately as a true freshman for Ohio State, voters decided to give other wide receivers the nod for their All-American and Biletnikoff Award ballots. The NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation to determine consensus and unanimous All-Americans, but Smith was only a first-teamer from the USA Today and ESPN lists.

He proceeded to torch the defenses from Tennessee (six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns) and Oregon (seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns) in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, as well as having a brilliant game in the Ohio State national championship win over Notre Dame to prove he’s the best pass-catcher in college football — and make those All-America teams look a bit silly.

The voters won’t be making the mistake of leaving Smith off every preseason watch list. And of course Downs will be on those lists as well from Ohio State.

Both are preseason first-team All-Americans according to the Walter Camp Football Foundation. They’ll be on every preseason All-American team that comes out ahead of this season, too.

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