Ohio State's Downs declares for NFL draft after standout college career
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, he announced Wednesday.
"I'm grateful for this chapter and proud to forever be a Buckeye," Downs said in a statement.
Downs began his college career at Alabama in 2023 before transferring to Ohio State a year later. He helped the Buckeyes win one national title and established himself as one of the nation's best defensive players, earning two unanimous All-American selections and two first-team All-Big Ten nods.
Downs received the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in college football. He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which recognizes the nation's best defender.
Downs enters the 2026 NFL Draft as an elite defensive prospect, and he's projected to go in the first half of Round 1.
The Cleveland Browns land Downs at No. 6 overall in theScore's latest NFL mock draft.