LAS VEGAS — The crown jewel of
Ohio State’s
2024 transfer portal is back in 2025, ready to lead a young defense while serving as one of the nation’s best players.
Caleb Downs
has earned Big Ten preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors,
as voted on in cleveland.com’s 15th annual Preseason Big Ten Football Poll
. The junior safety was the runaway winner of the award following a 2024 season where he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. He received 21 of the 25 first-place votes, while his 72 votes overall were 55 more than second place in a race featuring 12 players.
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Downs transferred to OSU after spending one season at Alabama in 2023, where he earned second-team All-American honors before Nick Saban’s retirement sent him into the portal. As a Buckeye, he anchored a defense that led the nation, allowing just 12.9 points per game and 4.19 yards per play.. Individually, he earned unanimous All-American status and joined
Shaun Wade
(2020) as Buckeyes to win
Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year
.
Heading into Year 2 in Columbus, Downs is the centerpiece of a defense that returns just two other starters in cornerback
Davison Igbinosun
and linebacker
Sonny Styles
, who also received votes. The defense will also have a new play-caller in long-time NFL coach
Matt Patricia
. Former defensive coordinator
Jim Knowles
left for Penn State in the offseason.
This is the second time that a Buckeye has been named the Big Ten’s preseason favorite for Defensive Player of the Year since
Ryan Day
became the head coach in 2019.
Chase Young
— who did so during Day’s first season — would go on to win the postseason award.
Other players to earn first-place votes include Indiana defensive end
Mikail Kamara
(two), Penn State defensive end
Dani Dennis-Sutton
(one) and Oregon safety
Dillon Thieneman
(one).
A panel of 25 voters was asked to list the top three players, with three points awarded for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, and one point for a third-place vote.
| Player, Position | Team | Total (First place) |
|---|---|---|
| Caleb Downs, SAF | Ohio State | 72 (22) |
| Dani Dennis-Sutton, DE | Penn State | 17 (1) |
| Dillon Thieneman, SAF | Oregon | 15 (1) |
| Matayo Uiagalelei, DE | Oregon | 14 |
| Mikail Kamara, DE | Indiana | 12(2) |
| Gabe Jacas, LB | Illinois | 8 |
| Koi Perich, SAF | Minnesota | 5 |
| Sonny Styles, LB | Ohio State | 4 |
| Zane Durant, DT | Penn State | 2 |
| Jaishawn Barham, LB | Michigan | 2 |
| Aiden Fisher, LB | Indiana | 1 |
| Ernest Hausmann, LB | Michigan | 1 |
