Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs Nominated for a Total of Four Postseason Awards

Ohio State Buckeyes' safety Caleb Downs is everything that you wish for in a football player. He is the best athlete and the smartest guy on the field, while also being tenacious, competitive, humble, and a guy who elevates the play of each of his teammates.

When he transferred to Ohio State from Alabama after legendary head coach Nick Saban retired, he had just led the SEC in tackles as a true freshman. Luckily for head coach Ryan Day, the rising star got to Ohio State and picked up right where he left off.

It took him a couple of weeks in 2024 to find his spot on Jim Knowles' defense, but once he did, he excelled. Downs was a major reason why the Buckeyes rolled through the College Football Playoff towards the National Championship.

Once they won the title and flipped the page to 2025, he made sure that the entire program knew that last year's championship didn't mean anything for 2025.

Inside The Film Room: What Can OSU Take from the USC Trojans? The USC Trojans took it to the Michigan Wolverines in Week 7 this year and in that victory, Lincoln Riley had his offense dialed in. What are some things tha...

He asked Day to remove all of the images and references to the title inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center because he didn't want his teammates thinking they won anything.

And this season, Downs has backed his talk up with top tier play.

In 2025, Downs has 49 total tackles, 32 solos, two interceptions, and one sack. His numbers appear pedestrian, but to anyone who has watched Ohio State play this year, he is playing at an elite level.

The truth about his stats is that the defense, as a whole, is too good for him to make a consistent impact on a game. Couple that with the Buckeyes' opponents being down this year, and he hasn't been consistently challenged in the back end of the defense.

When he has been called on to make plays, he has made them and done so in big situations.

For his efforts, Downs has been nominated for a total of four postseason awards, including being a finalist for the Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year), Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back), Nagurski Award (Most Outstanding Defensive Player), and the Lott Award (Highest Character Defensive Player).

Being a finalist for one of these is an honor, let alone all four of them. Downs is as impressive a football player as you'll ever see.

For him, these awards don't mean anything. He is locked in on taking down The Team Up North and getting the Buckeyes in a prime position to make another run at the National Championship.

It is because of that mindset that the Buckeyes will go as far as he wants to take them.