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
Here's a bunch of clips of Caleb Downs against the pass vs. LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State. Some of these plays don't look like they involve him but that's because the QB chooses not to throw his way. pic.twitter.com/nksdewVF9i
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 13, 2024
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
Watching Alabama vs LSU from this past season. Caleb Downs was matched up quite a bit with Malik Nabers in the slot. This wasn't necessarily one of those times, and it ends in a completion, but it is a good look at Downs' ability to recover, cover ground, and still find the ball. pic.twitter.com/ok7WYS0HqI
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 9, 2024
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
Caleb Downs led the SEC with 70 solo tackles as a true freshman. His 107 tackles were 40 more than anybody else on the Alabama team. Here are most of his run support clips from Texas, LSU, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/SK9gLJ1Yes
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 10, 2024
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.
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