Three players the Ohio State football program must convince to return in 2025
By Ryan Stano
2. Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs transferred to Ohio State before the season started after Saban retired from Alabama. As a freshman, Downs had already established himself as the best safety in the country. He was just as good in his first year with the Buckeyes. He has established himself as a leader too.
In the regular season, Downs had 61 tackles, a half-sack, three passes broken up, a pick, and returned a punt for a touchdown. He's still just a sophomore. Having Downs in the secondary makes every other part of Ohio State's defense more dangerous.
Keeping Downs would be a top priority for the Buckeyes. In fact, he might be the number one priority to keep if Day gets canned because he has already established himself as a leader for the entire team. No one else on the roster can do what he does.
Downs would command a lot of NIL money on the open market. He's another player that a lot of other programs would be circling if he entered the portal again. If they do bring in a new coach, Downs has to be the first player that the new coach talks to to make sure he comes back.
Moving forward in the CFP, Downs is the most important player on defense. He is going to be all over the field against Tennessee. I wouldn't be surprised to see him used on a few blitzes as well. The final player that Ohio State absolutely has to keep from entering the portal is a player who just signed with the team.