The Ohio State football program missed out on Caleb Downs when they were recruiting him out of high school. They fell second to Alabama, which was disappointing for them. Once Nick Saban retired, that gave Ohio State the opportunity to bring him to Columbus.
When he was being recruited by Ohio State and Ryan Day after he entered the Transfer Portal, Day felt good about being able to bring him in. After finishing second, Ohio State was logically going to be the next choice. That doesn't mean that Downs didn't want Day to sweat a little.
In fact, Day recently let everyone know that he pulled a prank on his future head coach before telling him that he was committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes. He mentioned this during a podcast with his brother, Josh, in the Downs 2 Business podcast.
Ohio State football player Caleb Downs reveals hilarious prank he played on Ryan Day
Day was the one who revealed that Downs decided to pull a prank on him.
Caleb Downs pranked Ryan Day before he told him he was going to Ohio State 😂 pic.twitter.com/2XskI7x9c4
— Swish (@swishxvibes) August 27, 2025
"What you didn't tell him, is then, as he's coming out of the portal, he then calls me and says, "Coach, I hate to do this to you again." And I'm like, "Oh my God, he's doing it again!". He goes, "Nah, I'm just messing with you, I'm coming to Ohio State." I threw my phone against the wall. I was happy."
Day was very stressed about the opportunity that he had to land Downs, and he didn't want to lose out on him for a second time. Downs got him pretty good on this prank. He has a sense of humor, but Day is certainly glad that he is playing for the Buckeyes instead of someone else.
Downs is probably the best defensive player in college football as he enters his junior season. The Buckeyes will get him for one more year before he heads off to the 2026 NFL Draft, where he very well might be a top-five pick. Ohio State is trying to win back-to-back titles with him in the lineup.
The first step on that journey is taking on the top-ranked team in the country on Saturday. Downs is going to play a huge role in that game, just as he did in the Cotton Bowl. Ohio State doesn't win that game, or the national championship, without him on the roster. He's a very special player.