Ohio State Reacts to Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs News
Last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes proved to be dominant on both sides of the ball, tied for 12th in points per game (35.7) and ranked first in points per game allowed (12.9).
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Football is a team effort, but there's no doubt that wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs were some of the biggest contributors to that consistent success.
Now, each is entering 2025 with considerable hype, as they were both named Walter Camp Preseason First-Team All-Americans and are the only Buckeyes represented.
It's an exciting honor and even drew its own social media post from Ohio State's official X account, captioned "@WalterCampFF Team Preseason All-Americans @Jermiah_Smith1 x @caleb_downs2."
Neither of these selections comes as a major surprise, because last year as a true freshman, Smith hauled in an impressive 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 games.
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Downs, who was in his first season with Ohio State after spending 2023 with the Alabama Crimson Tide, was just as impressive on the defensive side, also appearing in 16 games, accumulating 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass deflections and half a sack.
This isn't the first time the Walter Camp Football Foundation recognized them, as following the 2024 season, Downs was named a First-Team All-American, while Smith was awarded Second-Team honors.
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2).© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Let's see if the hype surrounding these two is real and whether or not they can help lead Ohio State to its second consecutive national championship win and possibly its 10th in program history.
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Related: Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith Sets Priorities Straight Amid Heisman Buzz
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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