Ohio State safety Caleb Downs sheds black stripe
COLUMBUS — The top overall prospect from this year’s recruiting cycle, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, lost his black stripe in record time. Two practices later, the top player from this year’s transfer portal, Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, followed suit.
Downs, a superstar from Alabama, received the post-practice honor Tuesday, six practices into his Ohio State career.
“He’s a work horse,” Buckeyes defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said of Downs earlier this month. “He just keeps his head down, has blinders on. And it’s just always a player of the game and just learning.”
Tuimoloau added: “He always keeps growing.”
In addition to earning Freshman All-American honors last year at Alabama, Downs got the SEC Freshman of the Year nod and was named an AP second-team All-American. Downs was a tackle machine for the Crimson Tide. So much so that he clocked out at the end of the season as the first true freshman since 1970 to lead Alabama in tackles.
He recorded 107, including 70 solos — the 14th-most of any player in the country this year — not to mention his 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four pass break-ups and one forced fumble.
Plus, Downs missed only 14 tackles all year, registering a missed tackle rate of 11.4%, according to Pro Football Focus. Of the 10 safeties with the most tackles in 2023, per PFF, Downs notched the fourth-lowest missed tackle rate. He did, however, allow 33 receptions on 51 targets for 453 yards and two touchdowns. His strength is in the box, where he lined up 285 snaps this past season, however, he’s talented enough to play anywhere and is practicing at free safety alongside strong safety Lathan Ransom right now.
“To have someone like that come here, it makes me compete every day,” Ransom said. “I love Caleb being here. We’re watching film together, we’re competing in the weight room, competing on the field. To have someone like that to push you every day is just going to make both of us better.”
Downs turned heads when he picked Ohio State in the portal back in January. It’s no surprise he was the first Buckeyes transfer addition to lose his black stripe.
“Caleb has great football intelligence, picks things up quickly, you know, plays like a veteran,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said earlier this offseason.
“The thing you notice about a player like Caleb is, yeah, he still makes mistakes, but he corrects them immediately. And that’s what you’re always looking for out of players. Yeah, you’re going to make mistakes, but can you correct it by the next play? That’s what I see so far.”
Counting Down
Buckeyes vs. Akron: 157 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 248 days
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