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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Josh Keatley

Ohio State transfer portal scouting report: Caleb Downs

The Ohio State football season is over, but the offseason has just begun and the Buckeyes are putting in work in the transfer portal. The first transfer portal addition came from the Mid-American Conference with the addition of Will Kacmarek from the Ohio Bobcats. We dove into what to expect from him earlier this month.

We then looked at Will Howard, who some have deemed the quarterback to lead the Buckeyes to the Promised Land. I then took a crack at what to expect from my favorite addition, former Alabama Crimson Tide center, Seth McLaughlin.

We also recently discussed the addition of Quinshon Judkins and his All-American potential, but Ohio State added yet another former SEC star in Caleb Downs from Alabama and I wanted to dive into his potential as a Buckeye.

Name: Caleb Downs

Former School: Alabama Crimson Tide

Height: 6-feet, 0-inches

Weight: 203 pounds

Position: Safety

Strengths

Caleb Downs was recognized as one of the most exciting five-star freshmen in recent memory and despite already being ranked as the number one safety in the class of 2024, he even exceeded those expectations. If you need evidence of Downs’ dominance, go back and watch his game against Texas A&M, where he earned a diving interception. This game was a great example of his coverage and elite change of direction skills.

Weaknesses

This scouting report is a bit like when we discussed Quinshon Judkins, where you really have to look to find weaknesses, but from first glance, Downs did show signs of being a freshman. There are a few examples where he took the bait as far as routes and fakes go. A good example of this was against Texas when he was getting caught out of position a few times.

Expectations

Downs immediately lived up to the hype and earned All-SEC honors as well as the SEC Freshman of the Year Award. It is fair to expect Downs to be a star at Ohio State as well. He was already an All-American, but I do think its fair to allow him time to get used to the defense and his role and perhaps have a slight sophomore slump due to the new surroundings.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

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