Finebaum: Ohio State not winning national title this year a “colossal failure” (2:57)Paul Finebaum and Cam Newton explain why they are more disappointed in Ohio State than Alabama this season. (2:57)
Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs is leaving school early and declaring for the NFL draft, he announced on social media Wednesday.
Downs is projected as a top-10 pick in ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid’s current rankings. No safety has been picked in the top 10 since the Jets took Jamal Adams with the No. 6 pick in 2017.
He was also a two-time unanimous All-American and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Downs had 68 tackles this season, to go along with two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a sack.
Downs, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023, transferred to Ohio State from Alabama during the 2024 offseason after coach Nick Saban’s retirement.
He had the game-ending interception in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals victory over Texas, as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship over Notre Dame.
“Competing for Ohio State these past two years, alongside my teammates, and upholding this tradition has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Downs wrote in a statement.
Downs joins Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, who announced Tuesday he was entering the draft and is also a projected top-10 pick.
Finebaum: Ohio State not winning national title this year a “colossal failure” (2:57)Paul Finebaum and Cam Newton explain why they are more disappointed in Ohio State than Alabama this season. (2:57)
Paul Finebaum and Cam Newton explain why they are more disappointed in Ohio State than Alabama this season. (2:57)
This year, Downs earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football.
He led an Ohio State defense that ranked No. 1 nationally allowing just 9.3 points per game.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caleb Downs (@calebdowns)
Jake TrotterJan 7, 2026, 01:18 PM ETCloseJake Trotter is a senior writer at ESPN. Trotter covers college football. He also writes about other college sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. Trotter resides in the Cleveland area with his wife and three kids and is a fan of his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder. He covered the Cleveland Browns and NFL for ESPN for five years, moving back to college football in 2024. Previously, Trotter worked for the Middletown (Ohio) Journal, Austin American-Statesman and Oklahoman newspapers before joining ESPN in 2011. He’s a 2004 graduate of Washington and Lee University. You can reach out to Trotter at jake.trotter@espn.com and follow him on X at @Jake_Trotter.Follow on X