The Ohio State Buckeyes offseason started a little shaky. The program saw many players leave, which led to many questions about what was happening with the Buckeyes. Since then, Ryan Day and his staff have been on fire in the transfer portal. It continued as the program landed former Alabama safety and no. one player in the transfer portal, Caleb Downs.
Ohio State Lands DB Caleb Downs From The Transfer Portal
BREAKING: Former Alabama DB Caleb Downs has Committed to Ohio State, a source tells @On3sports
The No. 1 Player in the Transfer Portal totaled 107 Tackles, 2 FF, & 1 INT in 2023
Was named 1st Team Freshman All-American, SEC Freshman of the Year, & Shaun Alexander Freshman of… pic.twitter.com/nIimDPAs5n
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 20, 2024
It didn’t take long for Downs to make his decision. When he announced he would enter, he immediately became the hottest name in the portal. In his true freshman season, Downs had 107 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. He was awarded the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award and many All-American nods. This is a huge get for Ryan Day and is the latest in a string of top-tier talent.
Excellent Offseason
This isn’t the first time the Buckeyes have landed a top player from the portal. Former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, the number one running back in the portal, is coming to the program. Will Howard was a top-ten quarterback in the portal, and IOL Seth McLaughlin was also top-ten at his position. This is on top of the number one overall recruit in the 2024 class, Jeremiah Smith, who is also coming this year. The Buckeyes are going to be tough to beat.
Ohio State is under a lot of pressure in 2024. They have lost to Michigan three straight years and haven’t been able to win the Big Ten because of that. The program has the talent, but can they turn that into wins?
