Ohio State football defensive back Caleb Downs was quite a popular person before he chose to commit to the Buckeyes. Downs is revealing he received more than 100 phone calls in a day when he decided to leave Alabama.

“I got 102 calls in one day – well not in one day, probably seven or eight hours,” Downs said at his first media appearance in Columbus, per On3. “Just being able to minimize what my mind was going through, that was a big thing for me to make a sound decision.”

Downs chose Ohio State, but seriously considered Alabama's rival Georgia. The defensive back says Ohio State football's coaches were a large factor in his decision to go to the Big Ten.

“I just love the program here, I love coach [Tim] Walton, and love what the people had to say around here. I believe in coach [Ryan] Day, and I believe in this team,” Downs added.

Downs was an absolute star at Alabama, finishing his first season with the program as the SEC Freshman of the Year. Downs was also selected as First-Team All SEC. Downs decided to enter the transfer portal when former Alabama coach Nick Saban retired. He joins an Ohio State football team looking to get to a College Football Playoff appearance with Ryan Day for the first time since 2020. Ohio State lost to Michigan the last three years, keeping the team out of the Big Ten championship game.

Ohio State begins its 2024 football season with a home game on August 31 against Southern Mississippi.