The Ohio State football program produces some of the best athletes in the university. Every year, it seems that the Buckeyes are good enough to win a national championship. Last year, they fell just short, falling to Miami in the Cotton Bowl. They had plenty of great players on that roster.
Defensively, they had some great players on last year's roster. In fact, three players were drafted in the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft back in April. Of those, Caleb Downs was the last one. Even though he was the final first-round pick, he might end up being the best.
Without Downs on the roster, the Ohio State Buckeyes don't win the national championship in 2024. He made several game-saving tackles in the Cotton Bowl against Texas that season. This past season, he won the Thorpe Award for the best defensive back in the country. Now, he's gotten another award.
Former Ohio State safety named Male Athlete of the Year
According to Ohio State, Downs has been named Ohio State's Male Athlete of the Year. He was clearly the best defensive player that the Buckeyes had. However, he was the best athlete that Ohio State had in any of the varsity sports that they support. Looking at the resume, it's hard to argue against this.
Downs helped the Buckeyes lead the nation in almost every statistical category. He was the best combination of run stopper and pass defender in the country. Quite frankly, it was surprising that he wasn't taken higher in the draft. His football IQ might be the highest of anyone who was drafted.
It's clear that his Ohio State teammates loved having him on the field with them. Jeremiah Smith repped his Dallas Cowboys jersey now that he's in Dallas. Downs was one of the defensive leaders of the team, so replacing him will be hard for them to do from a leadership standpoint.
Ohio State should still be a defnesive force this season
Despite all of the talent that they lost, the Buckeyes should still be one of the best defensive teams in the country. Matt Patricia has proven that his system is good enough to keep Ohio State as an elite team, no matter who ends up taking the spots of the guys they lost.
It wouldn't be shocking to see Patricia produce another top-five defense in the country next year with who they have. They have a lot of experience at the linebacker spot and have gotten several transfers up front on the defensive line to help make that unit even better.
The Buckeyes will learn very quickly about their defense. In Week 2, they will take on the Longhorns of Texas in Austin. Playing well defensively that week will be key for them to figure out who they have in the new starting positions and see if they are good enough.
Downs will have an extremely successful career in the NFL. It would be shocking if he wasn't the best defensive player on Dallas in the next few years.
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