Skull Session: Caleb Downs is An Old Soul; Jeremiah Smith Says Defenses “Can’t Just Worry About Me Now” Because Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss and Max Klare “Will Kill You”

By Chase Brown on October 10, 2025 at 5:00 am
Caleb Downs
Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Fight.

Have a good Friday.

 CALEB DOWNS, OLD SOUL. I’m not sure how apparent it is in Skull Sessions — if at all — but my family and friends describe me as an “old soul.” In fact, five years ago, my friend Anthony once called me a 50-year-old trapped in a 20-year-old body. That made me laugh at the time. It still does now.

I share that because Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger wrote an article on Caleb Downs this week. In the feature, Dellenger looked into what makes Downs “an old soul.”

“Downs is different from most other players (at Ohio State),” Delleger wrote. “He’s 20 going on 40, a college football player destined to one day be a business executive, an athletic freak determined to be a real-estate magnate.”

According to Dellenger, Downs — whom one Ohio State coach described as having an “elite mind” — reads books on economic and financial literacy, invests in stocks and property, and, instead of purchasing expensive cars and watches, buys stakes in the companies that make them.

Downs’ father, Gary, told Dellenger that Downs had full-blown conversations with adults at 4 years old. At 5, Downs determined the name of his future son (Samuel), and at 7, Downs started to break down film of his future youth football opponents. Even now, at 20, Downs does stuff people his age don’t — like listen to Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige and New Edition.

“Everybody tells me that I’m an old soul,” Downs told Dellenger. “I like old-school music and things like that.”

Downs’ teammates don’t listen along with him.

“But the strength staff does,” he told Dellenger, laughing.

We all know Downs for his on-field exploits. In two-and-a-half seasons of college football, the 2024 unanimous All-American has 208 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 10 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two punt return touchdowns.

Yet, to know Downs off the field — well, that could take a lifetime. Still, Dellenger did his best to paint a picture of what makes the Georgia native and future top-10 NFL draft pick one of the most remarkable people in college athletics. I recommend you read the feature sometime Friday or this weekend!

 PICK YOUR POISON. On Wednesday, Jeremiah Smith called the increased attention teams give him “frustrating.” But with a mindset mature beyond his years — and out of character for a position often filled with divas — Smith said he understands how his presence and effort positively impact the Ohio State offense.

“Everybody that we’ve played against just wants to take me out of the game,” Smith said. “But last week showed that we’ve got another dominant receiver on the other side of the field, so you can’t just worry about me now, you got to worry about Carnell Tate, you got to worry about Brandon Inniss, you got to worry about Max Klare, you got to worry about the tight ends. Whatever you want to do, take me out,  Carnell Tate is gonna kill you, the run game is gonna kill you, the tight ends are gonna kill you.”

A prime example came against the Golden Gophers, when Smith drew attention from five — five! — Minnesota defenders on a fake reverse that mirrored the action that led to his rushing touchdown against Ohio. With all eyes on Smith, Tate ran wide open to the end zone and Julian Sayin dropped the pass in his breadbasket.

“When that happened, I seen all them run at me, I just started laughing in they face,” Smith said, recalling the play on Wednesday. “I just threw my hand up ‘cause I know it was a touchdown.”

Despite Minnesota’s best efforts to slow Smith down, the star wide receiver finished the game with seven catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. His production was second only to Tate, who led the Buckeyes with nine receptions for 183 yards and one score.

Through five games in 2025, Smith has 35 catches for 463 yards and seven total touchdowns — an average of seven receptions, 92.6 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. If he maintains those averages for the remaining seven regular-season games, Smith would end the year with 84 catches, 1,111 yards and 17 total scores.

I don’t even need to ask if that’s good. 

That’s really freakin’ good.

 “HE HAS ONLY EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS.” As I mentioned in the previous section, Tate paced the Buckeyes with nine receptions for 183 yards and one touchdown in Ohio State’s 42-3 win over Minnesota. This week, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler shared that the performance has helped the 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver climb 2026 NFL draft boards.

If you’re going to give Tate a runway and not protect over the top, you’re playing with fire — as Minnesota found out on Saturday night. However, with Jeremiah Smith also on the field, it is like picking your poison for any defense facing the Buckeyes.

Tate is above average in several areas, but his vertical ability, especially on one-cut routes or double moves, is outstanding. With catches of 41, 48 and 49 yards against the Gophers, Tate is up to an FBS-best six receptions of 40-plus yards this season.

Because of his length and awareness, Tate is also one of the better receiver prospects I’ve scouted in the past few years when it comes to working the sideline — he has yet to register a drop in 2025. Tate started the season as WR3 (and No. 31 overall) on my board, but he has only exceeded expectations.

It feels all but certain that Tate will continue Ohio State’s streak of first-round wide receiver draft picks. It began in 2022 with Garrett Wilson (Jets) and Chris Olave (Saints), continued in 2023 with Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks), 2024 with Marvin Harrison Jr. (Cardinals), and 2025 with Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers).

Tate could add to it in 2026… when the Cleveland Browns select him with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-rounder! 

Oh, a man can dream.

 “YOU’RE PLAYING SUPERMAN.” Ryan Day had a comment on this week’s Ryan Day Radio Show that fired me up. When asked how Ohio State prepares knowing it will get an opponent’s best shot each week, Day said he compares the opponent to Superman.

“Across the line, you’re playing Superman,” Day said. “What I mean by that is they’re gonna play their best game against you. You’re Ohio State, and not only individually do they want to put film out there that they could beat Jeremiah Smith or Caleb Downs or whoever it might be, but for their team, this is an opportunity for them to really put a notch on their belt and get a win against a top team in the country. That’s what you have to understand. 

“When you come here, and what we talk about in recruiting, that’s the case, that’s how it always has been and always will be at Ohio State. We have to continue to stay hungry and stay desperate every single week, regardless of what happened the week before.”

Elite mindset.

Coach Day will have the Buckeyes ready on Saturday!

 DAILY DUBCAST. The final Eleven Dubcast of the week enlists the help of Dan Hope to preview the latest showdown for Illibuck between Ohio State and Illinois while offering insight into how the Buckeyes might approach the beginning of their afternoon on the road.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Be Without You" - Mary J. Blige.

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