'I'm Feeling Good!' Ohio State Buckeyes Safety Caleb Downs Excited For 2024

Five-star safety Caleb Downs shook the college football world when he announced he would be transferring from Alabama to Ohio State.

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) stretches with wide / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Five-star safety Caleb Downs shook the college football world when he announced he would be transferring from Alabama to Ohio State.

After shooting down speculation he'd head back to Tuscaloosa after former teammate Kady Proctor reversed his decision after switching to Iowa, Downs re-committed himself publicly to Columbus.

Mar 5, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) stretches with wide / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

"I'm here," Downs said of his commitment to the Buckeyes. “It feels like this is the place to be. ... I'm glad to be here. My family’s been up here. I’m feeling good. ... I love the city. I love High Street, I love being in the city. I love the restaurants here, the food is great here.”

One of the hardest things about a new team is the adjustment to teammates and coaches, which Downs doesn't seem to have a problem with.

“It’s always new just to be around different people, people that you haven’t spent time with. Building relationships is a big thing for me, so just trying to grow my relationships with my teammates and trying to learn more about each of them.”

Downs is excited to be a part of an Ohio State defense he considered to be elite last year and can't wait to contribute and make it better.

“I can only do my part. I can only do my 1/11th, and do my job every play I can. I can’t try to do more than that, and every other player has to do his job and we’ll do what we need to do.”

Downs has been moving between safety spots in practice this spring and thinks it's benefitted him by allowing him to see the the game from different viewpoints on the field.

“Every day I take reps at all three spots. It helps you understand and learn the defense from a new perspective. Being able to see the ball from the boundary safety, see the ball from the nickel spot,  being able to see the ball from the dime. It helps you be able to see the whole game and understand everything that goes on around you.”