Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in contention for No. 1 overall prospect ranking

Entering the New Year’s Eve matchup with the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is a viable contender to be the top-rated prospect in the 2026 NFL draft. Downs figures to be a key player for the Buckeyes’ hopes to repeat as national champions.

A do-it-all type of safety, Downs brings decent size (6-0/205) and athleticism to the table. What sets Downs, who transferred to Coumbus from Alabama after the 2023 season, apart is his exceptional football intelligence. No. 2 in scarlet and grey is very sharp in pre-snap diagnosis, sniffing out the offense’s intents before they try to execute it. Downs’ quick and decisive reactions flesh out a real chess piece for Ohio State DC Matt Patricia to take away offensive options.

Playing under Patricia, who has years of NFL coaching experience, only adds value for Downs. The Buckeyes deploy a lot of next-level sets and schematic wrinkles that most college secondaries either won’t try or don’t have the personnel to pull it off. Patricia doesn’t water things down for Downs and his defensive mates, and it should make them better-prepared to make a more immediate impact at the NFL level.

Ohio State's Caleb Downs (2) warms up during the NCAA football game against Penn State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Miami has the potential to expose the biggest question mark surrounding Downs--his man coverage ability. Downs doesn’t play over the slot often, with just 134 snaps there in 2025. His initial speed off the line and inescapable desire to keep his eyes on the entire field, not just his coverage mark, can leave him vulnerable against true high-end speed or double moves.

Hurricanes QB Carson Beck throws a solid deep ball, and he’s got capable targets in dynamic WR Malachi Toney and Keelan Marion. Beck will take his shots and sometimes give the defense a chance to make plays. That’s where the other real draft knock on Downs comes in: his playmaking. Downs has registered just two interceptions and one pass defended this year. He has just 13 plays on the ball in the air in over 1,300 snaps in three college seasons.

Safeties don't typically get drafted in the top-5 overall. Position value perception and projecting the schematic changes from college to the NFL tend to keep even elite safeties like Kyle Hamilton (No. 14 overall in 2022) and Brian Branch (No. 45 in 2023) well outside the top of the draft. Downs could be in a position to change that in 2026.