Awards
Caleb Downs wins the Jim Thorpe Award, but Jeremiah Smith gets snubbed from the Biletnikoff Award.
Caleb Downs is the best defensive back in college football.
During ESPN's College Football Awards show on Friday, the Ohio State safety won the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Downs was crowned the winner over two fellow finalists, LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
Downs has collected 60 tackles with five tackles for loss, two interceptions and two pass breakups for the Buckeyes this year, but his impact reaches far beyond those statistics. A do-it-all weapon in the Ohio State secondary, he's played 229 snaps as a deep safety, 210 snaps in the box and 135 snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus. He's an eraser in coverage, allowing just 4.1 yards per target.
Speaking of impact, Downs also won the Lott IMPACT Trophy on Sunday for making a difference both on the field and in his community. He swept every award he could win in the Big Ten, earning Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Back of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten.
Downs is the third Ohio State player to win the Jim Thorpe Award since its founding in 1986, joining former Buckeye cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Malcolm Jenkins. Ohio State is now tied with LSU, Oklahoma and Texas for the most Thorpe Award winners all-time.
| PLAYER | YEAR | STATS |
|---|---|---|
| CB ANTOINE WINFIELD | 1998 | 75 tackles, two INTs |
| CB MALCOLM JENKINS | 2008 | 57 tackles, four TFLs, one sack, three INTs, three FFs |
| S CALEB DOWNS | 2025 | 60 tackles, five TFLs, one sack, two INTs, two PBUs |
Downs will play what are likely the final games of his Ohio State career in this year's College Football Playoff before his expected departure for the 2026 NFL draft, where he is projected as a top-10 pick. With any luck, he can bring back one last piece of hardware: A second national championship trophy.
Downs was the only Ohio State player to win an individual award during Friday night’s awards show. Jeremiah Smith was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, but USC wide receiver Makai Lemon won that award over Smith. Julian Sayin was a finalist for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards, but those awards went to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Kayden McDonald was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, but Utah right tackle Spencer Fano won that award.
Downs was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, but each of those awards was won by Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Downs was one of four Ohio State players to be named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Friday night along with Smith, McDonald and Arvell Reese.
