Latest news with #CalebDowns
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Downs embraces leadership role at Ohio State
Ohio State junior safety Caleb Downs sits down with Joshua Perry to discuss winning the national championship, his move from the SEC to the Big Ten, his leadership, new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and more.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
College football preseason coaches poll overrated teams: Ohio State, Ole Miss too high
One thing we know about preseason polls is how little it means in the grand scheme of things. A high ranking doesn't automatically mean success, and there's always teams not ranked that surprise. But that doesn't stop fans — or the media — from letting the rankings set the expectations. The preseason US LBM Coaches Poll is out and it provides the first real snapshot of who are the contenders for this season's College Football Playoff. While there are plenty of teams obviously positioned to compete for a national championship and potential darkhorse candidates, there are clearly some that have the summer hype train at over capacity. Whether it's built off last season's finish or some hyped up additions, there are some squads that have too much excitement to start. Now, it's not saying they will have a disappointing season. For all we know, they could be playing meaningful football in January. But these teams need to prove something before we can say they deserve the number next to their name. 2. Ohio State The defending national champions are ranked second and are poised to compete for another title, but there are still so many questions regarding the Buckeyes. Yes, they have arguably two of the best players on both sides of the ball in receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs. But Ryan Day has to replenish so much from last season's squad, from installing new coordinators while having to replace veterans at quarterback, running back and both lines of the ball. The Buckeyes have a top five recruiting class coming into Columbus and some potential stars ready to shine, but they're an extremely unproven team that seems to benefit from winning it all last year. Of course, they can erase all concern when they face top ranked Texas in the season opener. 15. Mississippi Lane Kiffin continues to make Mississippi a respectable squad in the SEC, but like last year, lofty expectations are being put on a Rebels team that has yet to break through. The 2024 squad felt like Ole Miss' best yet, but it couldn't avoid traps and missed out on the playoff. Now Jaxson Dart and a plethora of talent are gone and Kiffin has to practically rebuild from scratch. He went deep into the transfer portal to replenish the offense, which will be led by sophomore quaterback Austin Simmons. There are holes to fill at receiver and offensive line to keep the high standard established under Dart. On the plus side, the Rebels have a chance to jump up the rankings with an easy start on the schedule, but it will remain a question whether it is legit until the big game start at the end of September. 16. SMU Can the Mustangs repeat magic? SMU had a tremendous run to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but it will take a lot for it to get back into the field. SMU benefits from Kevin Jennings returning under center, and Rhett Lashlee went into the portal to replenish the skill positions that really paved the way for last season's successful run. While the pieces are there, it's worth noting SMU greatly benefited from a relatively easy schedule that avoided the top four teams in the ACC. The schedule in 2025 is much more difficult, with Baylor and TCU in non-conference action and Clemson, Miami and Louisville in conference play. If SMU can navigate a tougher schedule, they will present a solid argument to the playoff committee to be back in. But a tougher slate makes it tough for the Mustangs to survive. 18. Tennessee Despite all of the offseason drama in Rocky Top, Tennessee has a favorable starting position. However, Josh Heupel has quite the task to keep a high potent offense. The loss of Nico Iamaleava was not only tough for the Volunteers after guiding them to the playoff, but it came at a difficult time when there wasn't a wide pool for the Volunteers to look for at signal-caller. They essentially did a swap with UCLA and brought in Joey Aguilar. Could the former Appalachian State quarterback take over the job? A lot of pressure rests on him trying to guide a young offense. Defense will have to lead. Tennessee should be a dark horse contender for the SEC title, but they are in the position of what they can do. Right now, it's not a guarantee the Volunteers are contenders. They need to prove something before it should be in the top 20. 23. Brigham Young Of all the ranked teams, the most questionable one on the list is Brigham Young. The Cougars fell just short of the playoff and had a real shot of contending in the Big 12 again. But the outlook drastically changed when Jake Retzlaff departed the team. Now whomever wins the job will have the Cougars rolling with a quarterback that doesn't have significant experience, making it look like they won't be able to replicate the magic from 2024. There's a good shot BYU starts the season 3-0, but the Big 12 scheduling is daunting by mid-October. Don't be shocked if the Cougars are just trying to make sure they are bowl eligible. Receiving votes: Auburn Twenty-six teams received votes in the poll, and there's no team that has a bigger question mark and spot than Auburn. The Tigers earned 50 points, putting them at No. 32 among teams in the rankings. Sure, the Tigers had some back luck in 2024, but they still went 5-7 and nothing has shown it will take a major step forward. The quarterback room has experience but none of them are proven stars, and they're trying to show they can start. Hugh Freeze showed promise with a strong recruiting effort, but he hasn't shown he can put together a winning team yet in his two seasons at Auburn.
USA Today
01-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State football player preseason award tracker for 2025
It's preseason award and watchlist season Ohio State football fans. And if that's the case, with a program behemoth like the one residing on the banks of the Olentangy, you can bet there are plenty of players getting notoriety -- especially since the Buckeyes might have the two best players in the country. We're keeping track of all of the preseason honors and watchlists for all of the Ohio State football players entering the 2025-2026 season as they become available via announcements. For guys like safety Caleb Downs and receiver Jeremiah Smith, the list will only continue to grow, but there's more than that. And, of course, these preseason watch lists can and will change as the season goes on based on actual production on the field, but it's a good starting point to see which players on Ohio State are expected to do big things this fall. We'll update the players and their preseason accolades as the announcements are made and as we steam ahead towards the start of the Ohio State football season. Caleb Downs, Safety Eddrick Houston, Defensive End Davison Igbinosun, Cornerback Max Klare, Tight End Arvell Reese, Linebacker Jeremiah Smith, Wide Receiver Sonny Styles, Linebacker Carnell Tate, Wide Receiver Tegra Tshabola, Offensive Line Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Ohio State football players receive 2025 Big Ten Preseason Honors
The Big Ten Conference released the players included in its 2025 Preseason honors on Wednesday, and as usual, there are a number of Ohio State players included in the 16 names. The Buckeyes tied Penn State with the most players honored, with three each. The three players donning Scarlet and Gray for the 2025 season named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list are safety Caleb Downs, receiver Jeremiah Smith, and linebacker Sonny Styles. Smith was the only player on the list of names selected unanimously by the media. Smith burst onto the scene last year as a freshman. He hauled in 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, putting together arguably the best season by a freshman wide receiver ever. Downs is widely considered the best defensive player in the country and should continue to be inserted all over the field to wreak havoc on the OSU defense once again. He tallied 81 tackles and two interceptions last season. Styles returns for his final season and is looking to build on a breakout year in which he finished with 100 tackles and six sacks. He should be even better this year. Here's the complete list of players receiving 2025 Big Ten Preseason Honors: 2025 Big Ten Preseason Honors Quarterback, Luke Altmyer (Illinois) Outside Linebacker, Gabe Jacas (Illinois) Defensive Lineman, Mikail Kamara (Indiana) Defensive Back, D'Angelo Ponds (Indiana) Offensive Tackle, Gennings Dunker (Iowa) Center, Logan Jones (Iowa) Defensive Back, Koi Perich (Minnesota) Outside Linebacker, Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon) Defensive Back, Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) Safety, Caleb Downs, (Ohio State) Wide Receiver, Jeremiah Smith, (Ohio State) Linebacker, Sonny Styles, (Ohio State) Quarterback, Drew Allar, (Penn State) Defensive End, Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State) Running Back, Nicholas Singleton (Penn State) Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Three Ohio State players among those named Big Ten Preseason Honors
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Two Ohio State players named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list
The preseason watch list parade continued on Tuesday with the Football Writers Association of America releasing the 2025 Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list, and there are two Ohio State players among the 60 names initially announced. Safety Caleb Downs, who is pretty much on every single preseason watch list he's eligible for, was among the players named, as was linebacker Sonny Styles. The Nagurski is awarded to the player judged to be the best defensive player in college football annually and has been handed out by the Charlotte Touchdown Club in conjunction with the FWAA. The Trophy has been around since 1993, with two OSU players having won the award. Current Ohio State assistant coach James Laurinaitis won the Trophy in 2006, and defensive end Chase Young took it home in 2019. Downs should get plenty of consideration and might be the favorite to take it home before the season starts. He was a unanimous All-American last year after transferring from Alabama. He has been named to every single preseason first-team All-American team for 2025 so far. Styles is entering his senior year after really coming on at the tail-end of last season. He was second on the team with 100 tackles and could have a major breakout year with his athleticism continuing to catch up with the game coming to him more at the linebacker position. He's been recognized on several preseason All-American teams so far as well. The list can and will change throughout the year, with additional players being added as performance dictates. The Trophy will be awarded on December 8 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Two Ohio State players named to Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list
