The Ohio State season just came to an end, as the Buckeyes were upset by Miami, 24-14, in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. Now, players are making decisions about their futures. Carnell Tate recently declared for the NFL Draft. Now, star safety Caleb Downs will join him, as he too has declared for the NFL Draft.
“Uh, I mean, it's at the end of the day, somebody told me that um this other day was like, man, it's champagne problems. Like, it's a tough decision to make. It's a champagne problem. Like, either way, it's a celebration to fact to go back to school and be with my teammates or to get a chance at the dream that I had when I was a kid. So it's something that's been on my head for a minute, but I mean, I'm just thankful to be in a situation and for my family for walking me through it and everything like that. But I think it's time to go to the NFL, though, man,” Downs said on his podcast Downs 2 Business, hosted with his brother Josh Downs.
Downs just finished his junior year at Ohio State. In his time with Alabama and the Buckeyes, Georgia native was a second-team All-American and two-time unanimous first-team All-American. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023, and the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2024 and 2025 after transferring to Ohio State. He also won a national championship, the Lott Trophy, and the Jim Thorpe Award.
His brother Josh was a third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 after playing at North Carolina.
After the podcast, Downs placed a statement to Buckeye Nation on X, formerly Twitter.
PT. 3 Loading ‼️ pic.twitter.com/Dj6DoXSH9m
— Caleb Downs (@caleb_downs2) January 7, 2026
“After a lot of prayer and reflection, I have decided to declare for the NFL Draft. I'm forever grateful for this chapter and proud to forever be a Buckeye,” Downs concluded his statement with.
Downs made sure to thank just about everyone in the process of his declaration, from the team to fans, parents, family, and coaches both past and present.
The Ohio State star will be forgoing his last year of eligibility, but this seems like the right move. He has done just about everything he can at the college level. Currently, Downs is projected to stay in Ohio for his NFL career. According to the first ClutchPoints NFL Draft of the year, Downs will go number ten overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. With a good pro day and combine, he could go even higher.
