The Ohio State football program wouldn't have won the 2024 national championship without Caleb Downs. He was the best defensive player on the field every time he stepped on the field. He had several touchdown-saving tackles against Texas in the Cotton Bowl, too.
Last season, Downs was honored as the Jim Thorpe Award winner. He was clearly the best defensive player in college football this past season. Once the season ended, Downs was immediately projected as a top-10 pick in almost every NFL mock draft.
There has been some chatter about Downs' knee possibly being an issue. Rumors have floated about him possibly having a degenerative ACL. With this information coming out around the Combine, people need to realize that it is absolute garbage and nonsense.
Why rumors about Ohio State star Caleb Downs' knee is nonsense
Every year, there are rumors that come out about a really good prospect around the Combine that are less than flattering. It's pretty easy to see that these are rumors floated out by NFL teams hoping to hurt his stock so that he slides to them. That's all this is. Even Pat McAfee says he reached out to multiple teams, and they couldn't find anything wrong with him.
Downs' tape shows that he is so clearly the best safety in the country. Based on his size, speed, and ability to cover both the run and the pass, he has Hall of Fame traits. The Buckeyes used him in a lot of different spots over the last two seasons to showcase his skills.
The Ohio State Buckeyes would not have been a title contender without Downs on the field. That's how good a player he is. Sliding outside of the top-ten would be crazy for him. Downs is someone who can possibly change the entire fortune of a defense.
This is the time of year when nonsense starts leaking out from NFL organizations. That's exactly what this is. Even if he did have a knee injury that he somehow played through, look how good he was! He was still voted as the best defensive back in the country!
The smear campaign against Downs is stupid, and any team that passes up on him in the 2026 NFL Draft will regret it.