Ohio State football: The three fastest risers in Spring so far
By Ryan Stano
![Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) returns a punt Mar 7, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) returns a punt](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4500,h_2531,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/151/01htfznywsy8gs1xjnbx.jpg)
2. Caleb Downs
As a transfer from Alabama, Caleb Downs has a lot of high standards to live up to. He was a Freshman All-American a year ago with the Tide and comes to a secondary that is already very talented. It was a secondary that led the country in pass defense.
Downs has already shown that he improved the secondary to an elite level. He shed his black stripe in record time and has been all over the field for the Buckeyes. Not only is he ready to help in the passing game, but he is going to come up and be a thumper in the run game.
No one should expect Downs to have over 100 tackles again this season. If a safety has that many tackles, that means the rest of the defense isn't doing their job right. Still, he could have 70-75, which is how many he had solo a year ago. He's still going to be all over the field.
Downs has already won the respect of his teammates for how hard he works on the field. He's going to be one of the three best players on the defensive side of the ball for the Buckeyes this year. If you didn't watch much of Alabama last year, I can't wait for you to see him in the Spring Game.
Even though Downs came in with such high expectations, he's still a fast riser because he's doing things faster than everyone anticipated. He's picking up Jim Knowles' complicated defense extremely well. He's not going to be slowed down by thinking too much on the field.
The fastest riser on this list is someone who has generated an insane amount of hype already.