Prize transfer catch Caleb Downs hopes to help Ohio State defense become even better

As soon as Caleb Downs entered the NCAA transfer portal, the safety was besieged with calls.

That shouldn’t be surprising. Downs was named the Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman of the Year after a strong first season at Alabama. Who wouldn’t want him?

“Recruiting on steroids,” Downs said Tuesday with a laugh as OSU's new transfers spoke with reporters for the first time. “I think I got 102 calls in one day – not even one day, probably seven or eight hours.”

It came down to Ohio State and his home-state Georgia, and most experts expected him to become a Bulldog. Instead, he picked Ohio State.

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“I just felt it was the best decision for me,” Downs said.

When the Crimson Tide lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, Downs didn’t expect that to be his final game for Alabama. Nick Saban then announced his retirement on Jan. 10.

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“It was a huge surprise walking into that meeting and him saying that,” Downs said. “My heart dropped for sure.”

Ohio State was a finalist during Downs’ high school recruitment, so he was open to the Buckeyes this time around. Two years ago, Ohio State had just started the defensive transition under new coordinator Jim Knowles. Last year, the Buckeyes’ defense was mostly dominant, allowing only 11.2 points per game.

“Watching the film and seeing how they progressed and how the defense played last year definitely helped me make a more sound decision, having more facts about what I would be getting into,” Downs said.

“I expect us to excel and be better than they were last year. I expect us to be elite.”

Downs led Alabama with 890 defensive snaps and finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference with 107 tackles. He’s expected to take over for Josh Proctor, who was a sixth-year senior in 2023, to join Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles as the safeties.

“Lathan and Sonny, they’ve welcomed me, and I appreciate them for that,” Downs said. “I think us working together, we can do some real damage.”

There was considerable speculation that name, image and likeness opportunities at Ohio State played a major role in Downs’ decision to join the Buckeyes. He downplayed that.

“I’m not here to make money or do anything like that,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of opportunities here in terms of the city of Columbus. But I’m here to help this team win football games, and I’m here to do my best and try to develop.”

Downs’ brother Josh is a wide receiver with the Indianapolis Colts. His father played for North Carolina State and his uncle, Dre Bly was an 11-year NFL cornerback.

“I’ve been training with my dad and my brother since I was 4 or 5 years old,” Downs said. “I don’t want to say I was built for this, but I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.

“I think I’m elite at being able to watch film and determine what are the keys to look at each play, being able to determine what guys I need to change up my technique for, and what my teammates need to look at before the play,” he said.

Fifth-year center Seth McLaughlin also has transferred from Alabama to Ohio State. He said Downs made an instant impression as a freshman.

“He walked in and acted like a third-year starter,” McLaughlin said. “... He’s one of the most impressive freshmen I’ve ever seen come through Alabama.”

Downs’ last game with the Crimson Tide came against Michigan. He’s just becoming acclimated to Ohio State, but he already grasps how important it is to break OSU’s three-game losing streak to the Wolverines.

“I think I understand it more,” he said. “I definitely can’t understand it from an Ohio State perspective because I haven’t played in it or been through that. I can’t really speak on how they feel, but I’m definitely hungry to beat Michigan myself.”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Prize Alabama transfer Downs explains rationale for joining Ohio State