Caleb Downs

Former safety at Ohio State. 2025: 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, 68 tackles.

S · Ohio State · Jr. · #2

6′0″ · 205 lb · Hoschton, GA

CFB Index 67 · #122 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceConsensus AADrafted by Dallas — Rd 1, Pick 11, #11 overall

On production he ranks #122 of 544 safeties; on reputation he is a consensus All-American. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

How he plays

Plays like an extra linebacker near the line.

Solo tackles: 96th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

interceptions · 2025

1 PBU · 68 tackles · 5 TFL

Best game: 1 INT, 5 tackles, vs Penn State

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former safety at Ohio State. 2025: 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup, 68 tackles.

Signed as a 5-star recruit to Alabama in 2023.
Transferred from Alabama to Ohio State in 2024.
Drafted round 1 by the Dallas in 2026.

The full story, with sources

How it ended

Three seasons at Ohio State, 256 tackles, a Consensus All-American season (2024) — drafted at #11 overall by Dallas.

His career

He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.

202314 games

Signed with Alabama5-star out of Mill Creek
All-Americafirst
All-SECfirst

202416 games

Entered the portal
All-Big Tenfirst
All-America12 selectors
Big Ten Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Yearwinner

202514 games

All-Big Tenfirst
All-America12 selectors
Thorpewinner
Lott IMPACTwinner
Big Ten Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Yearwinner
Big Ten Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Yearwinner

2026

Drafted by Dallasround 1, pick 11

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★★

#6 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2023–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R1 · #11

Dallas · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

31 honors · 2 categories

🏆

ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS

Consensus AA (2025)

10 first-team selectors

🥈

ALL-BIG TEN · 1ST TEAM

All-Big Ten 1st team (2025)

Badges

Top-10 Recruit

Coaching lineage · 2023–2025

1 coach

2023–2025

Ryan Day

Ohio State

Played his entire career under Ryan Day.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Dallas2026 NFL rookie season

#11Rd 1 · Pick 11

Dallas2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2023Alabama12-2HC: Nick Saban · Run-heavy

2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

67Quality starter #122 of 544?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (96th percentile). Strength: tackles (90th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#128 / 2975 · 96th pct

Tackles#293 / 2975 · 90th pct

Tackles for loss#553 / 2975 · 80th pct

5.0

Interceptions#114 / 817 · 75th pct

Sacks#847 / 2975 · 63rd pct

1.0

QB hurries#1007 / 2975 · 55th pct

Passes defended#1191 / 2975 · 48th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home9g	4.9	0.6	0.1	0.0
Road5g	4.8	0.0	0.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	5.1	0.3	0.0	0.0
Weeks 8+7g	4.6	0.4	0.1	0.1

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Ryan Day

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Consensus All-American

First team on a majority of the recognized selector lists.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

67 · #122 of 544 safeties

Former five-star. Now #122 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Ohio State	68	45	5.0	1.0	1	2	--
2024	Ohio State	81	48	7.5	0.5	6	2	1
2023	Alabama	107	70	3.5	0.0	3	2	--
Career		256	163	16.0	1.5	10	6	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2025

W 24–6

at Washington

2 TOT · 2 SOLO

With J. Sayin — 208 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 88.9 · 12 rush yds (4 car) · B. Inniss — 3 rec · 34 yds

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week