Caleb Downs won a state championship in his native Georgia. Then he won an SEC championship in the state, too.
And Monday, he’ll have the chance to become a national champion here.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that Downs, an All-American safety and maybe the best defender in the sport, will play the most important game of his life in Atlanta. A Hoschton native, Downs is back home with his Buckeyes, four quarters from reaching immortality. The five-star recruit and 2022 AJC Player of the Year who helped Mill Creek to the state crown is now the All-American trying to put Ohio State back atop the collegiate landscape.
“It’s an honor to be here,” Downs said Saturday at media day. “It’s a really good feeling to be back to my roots, back to where I grew up. I’ve been in this World Congress Center (where media day was held). I’ve been in Mercedes-Benz Stadium more times than I can count. It’s an honor to play here and an honor to be back.
“It’s a full-circle moment. Just an honor knowing that everybody who put (their energy and belief) into me has seen it come to fruition.”
When Ohio State and Notre Dame square off Monday, there will be myriad blue-chip recruits and future professionals on the field. But Downs might be the best of them all. In two seasons, he’s assembling one of the most-accomplished-and-unique resumes that football has seen. That starts with his upbringing.
Raised in an athletic family
His father, Gary, was an NFL running back and became a coach. His uncle, Dre Bly, was a Pro Bowl cornerback. His brother, Josh, is currently a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. His sister, Kameron, was a soccer player at Kennesaw State.
It should come as no surprise that Downs isn’t just a superior athlete, but an instinctual one. He was remarkable as a freshman at Alabama. His ascension has continued at Ohio State, where he stands out even on such an illustrious defense. It’s obvious to those around him that Downs has spent his life around the sport, influenced by those who’ve reached the highest heights.
“There will be times in the meeting room when he’ll bring something up; we’ll call him the co-DC sometimes because he’s so smart,” Ohio State senior edge rusher Jack Sawyer said. “He makes plays sometimes where it’s like, ‘How’d you read that so fast? Gosh.’ This guy just knows ball. He’s been around ball. I think that Caleb Downs is one of the most special players I’ve ever been around.”
Downs, informed of Sawyer’s comment, paused with a grin.
“(My family is) probably the biggest contributor to that,” he said. “My dad was a coach, played, my brother played, my uncle played, my other uncle was a coach. Just being around the game has allowed me to grow a lot with my knowledge of football and how I see the game. I voice my opinions, so that’s probably why they call me that (laughs).”
What a blessing for Downs, not just to be born with such profound athleticism but to also be nurtured in the perfect setting. His circumstances made him ripe for excellence; he’s delivering in every aspect, legitimately becoming one of the great individuals to emerge from this talent-rich state.
“That’s how life should go, younger kids learn from the older,” former Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He was at Alabama and he comes from a football family. The things his parents and his uncles learned as professionals they gave to him. And if he has kids, he can give them that same work ethic, perspective and knowledge of the game. This is how it goes. These kids are better athletes, better kids. This is how life should go and you get better as you pass down more information and more wisdom and apply it to life.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Downs was coveted coming out of Mill Creek, choosing to play for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. It was a glorious one-year run for Downs at Alabama. He led the Crimson Tide with 107 tackles, adding two interceptions and four pass breakups. Despite some early season struggles, Alabama wound up winning the SEC again. Downs was among the team’s biggest stars despite his youth; he was one of the more gifted freshmen in the Saban era.
But that time ended after the Crimson Tide lost to eventual champion Michigan in the playoff. Saban’s unexpected retirement made Alabama’s roster ripe for poaching, with multiple big-name players opting to head elsewhere. Downs, though, was the best of the group.
From Tuscaloosa to Columbus, Ohio
Downs’ position coach, Travaris Robinson, joined Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia. When Downs entered the portal, he said he received 102 calls, according to the Tuscaloosa News. There was a thought he’d return to his native state, but after much deliberation and prayer, Downs said he felt pulled to Ohio State.
Yes, Ohio State is properly compensating Downs (his NIL valuation exceeds $2 million, per On3), but he also joined a program that’s repeatedly proven it puts its defensive backs into the NFL. Ohio State provided everything Downs could’ve wanted: Development, the chance to win a national title, money, and likely whatever else Downs had on his check list. The match was perfect.
Buckeyes freshman quarterback Julian Sayin was briefly with Alabama before Saban’s retirement also prompted his move to Columbus. He said he’s been in awe of Downs’ overall skill set.
“When I was able to go there (to Alabama), I was on the scout team and just seeing (Downs) – obviously really talented, really smart player,” Sayin told The AJC. “Everyone knows he’s a really hard worker. Always in the facility putting in extra work. He’s done a really good job. He’s super smart and takes everything he learns watching film to the field and implements it in his game well.”
A unanimous All-American, Downs has 77 tackles (eight for loss – double his freshman total), a half-sack, two interceptions and six passes defensed. He returned six punts for 98 yards, which included his second career punt-return touchdown in a pivotal game against Indiana, a play that was among the highlights of Ohio State’s season. Pro Football Focus graded him at 89.3, allowing a 48.6 passer rating without surrendering a touchdown in coverage.
Downs met or exceeded the immense hype. He’d almost certainly be a first-round selection this spring if he was eligible. A year from now, he might be discussed as a potential top-five selection even though he plays a non-premium position.
“He’s a really smart player, really intelligent, and he can also make plays from like 20 yards deep,” senior linebacker Cody Simon said. “He’s super (versatile), he’s a great player and we’re so thankful to have him on our team. He has such a talented family and they all work really hard, but he’s put a lot of work in this season and the years before. It’s a combination of the hard work and talent that he’s put together his whole life.”
Senior cornerback Jordan Hancock, a Suwanee native and long-time friend of Josh, told The AJC of the younger Downs: “He’s a special kid. That just goes to his preparation every week. He moves like a professional athlete already at a very young age. We’re not surprised by anything he does in the games.”
The latest highlight came in the Cotton Bowl. Sawyer essentially ended the game with his strip sack of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and ensuing 83-yard fumble return touchdown. But when the Longhorns went back onto the field, Downs ended any chance of a miracle by intercepting Ewers.
“Caleb Downs is a baller,” Sawyer said. “That’s really the only word I can use to describe him. I’ve never seen a guy his age approach practice, meetings, the way he does and in the manner he does it. He’s business 24/7. Caleb Downs is one of the smartest players I’ve been around and flies around and makes plays non-stop – in practice, in walk-throughs, and obviously you guys get to see him in games when the lights are on. So Caleb has been special. He’s a great guy, great guy to be around. He’s made this defense that much better.”
Now, Downs will try to cap his sophomore season in style. The Fighting Irish have a tough, run-based offense that’s worn down opponents throughout the playoff. The Buckeyes defense will need to be ready for a punch-you-in-the-mouth attack.
And the Irish will need to be ready for Downs, however he’s deployed and wherever he’s stationed in coverage.
“He’s one of the fastest players I’ll have played against this year,” Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard said. “He’s very instinctive. He sees the game, sees the field really well. He’s been around the game for a long time, has family members who’ve played. So he gets it. He’s a good player.”
