Highlights from Downs' Thorpe Award-winning season
Watch the best plays from safety Caleb Downs' Jim Thorpe Award-winning 2025 season for the Buckeyes, in which his unanimous All-American campaign has him projected as one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Video Transcript
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is one of the best defenders in the country and a future top 15 pick in the NFL draft.
You talk about some guys looking good on tape.
This young safety, Caleb Downs.
Oh, my goodness.
All-American, all world.
How about Caleb Downs?
He's everywhere.
You put him in the post.
You put him over the slot.
You walk him up on the line of scrimmage.
When offenses come to the line of scrimmage, they're gonna say, "Where's Caleb Downs?"
Coach Matt Patricia told us this kid is like a chess piece, right?
We move him all the way around this defense.
This kid is all over the place.
His competitive IQ is off the chart.
Second and long.
Quick release.
Buckeyes there.
Navarro keeps it.
Caleb Downs made the stop.
Try the hand off again and he won't get to the edge.
Caleb Downs, All-American safety says, "No, you don't."
Now Lynch is gonna take a shot and it's incomplete.
Tight coverage.
Caleb Downs was back there.
In this case he's got single coverage on a bigger target, but he's in perfect position.
Let's get back to the physicality, which we know is a huge part of playing the safety position.
Yes, Downs makes plays in coverage, but he loves to rumble in the box or against the run.
With zero hesitation, he makes a great tackle.
Downs is one of the smartest, most instinctual safety prospects I have ever evaluated.
He has a sixth sense to read plays that most defenders on the back end simply do not possess.
You're gonna see him at safety, right?
And you're gonna think, "Oh man, he's got a deep half of the field."
Then you're gonna see him at corner and he's playing too deep.
You're gonna see him at linebacker.
The guy is unstoppable and it doesn't matter where he's lined up on this defense.
There are plenty of other unstoppable players for the Ohio State University.
Now let's watch Downs as a single high safety using his vision and route anticipation to pounce on this throw.
He doesn't get a turnover in the box score for this, but tipping this pass up is as good of an assist as you'll see.
He has a better read on this throw than the intended receiver did.
Starts from the 25.
Play clock all the way down and the first pass attempt of his career is gonna be a loss of two.
Caleb Downs made a great play on the first down screen.
A safe play for UCLA and really good defense by Ohio State.
Brown's already gotten involved.
It is a screen pass to the outside.
It is caught by Mikey Matthews and he gets bottled up.
Nowhere to go.
