Ryan Day reflects on Caleb Downs legacy at Ohio State following Cotton Bowl loss

One of the toughest things for the Ohio State Buckeyes football program following their 24-14 Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes, is all the elite talent they’ll be losing to the NFL draft.

Very few players have made a bigger impact than safety Caleb Downs, who has been among college football’s best during the past two seasons with the Buckeyes.

Following the Cotton Bowl, head coach Ryan Day reflected on what Downs has meant to the program, and the legacy he left as a Buckeye.

“What Caleb Downs has done for Ohio State and does every day. Most of it you see is on the field, but what I see is off the field. He’s a special young man who has done a lot of this program,” Day said. “I’ll forever be in debt for what he’s done for us. Not only his play, but what he stands for off the field. Who he is, his family, he’s tremendous. He played his tail off tonight and nobody hurts more than he does.”

Downs' collegiate career didn’t start at Ohio State, rather with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2023. While he was there, he recorded 107 tackles, two picks, a fumble recovery and a punt return touchdown.

When legendary head coach Nick Saban retired, Downs opted to enter the transfer portal to find a new home. He landed at Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over his hometown team in the Georgia Bulldogs.

While he, he immediately had an impact in turning this team back around. During his sophomore campaign, he had 82 tackles, two interceptions, seven TFLs and another punt return touchdown.

The awards started coming in too, as he was named an All-American, as well as a few Big Ten awards. Most importantly, he made the Buckeyes defense the top in the nation as they went on to win the first National Championship of the 12-team college football era.

He followed it up this year by putting up big numbers again, even as college football’s most feared defender. He had 68 tackles, five TFLs and two picks.

He was named a unanimous All-American for the second time in his career, while also earning the Jim Thorpe award and the Ronnie Lott trophy. He even received some votes on the Heisman ballot.

He was a key piece in taking down the Michigan Wolverines, finally ending the losing streak this season. That’s an accomplishment some Buckeye fans find even more important than a National Championship.

Obviously, the Buckeyes were defeated by Miami, but Downs continued to play hard. He had eight tackles and two forced fumbles, even if it didn’t translate to a win.

Downs will be remembered as one of the best Buckeye defenders of all time. Now, he’ll get ready for a new journey, where he is expected to be a top 10 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.