Caleb Downs Declares for 2026 NFL Draft, Will Forgo Senior Season at Ohio State

Arguably the best player in college football is heading to the NFL.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs declared for the 2026 NFL draft on Wednesday.

Downs started his collegiate career at Alabama when he arrived as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 safety in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. 

He helped lead the Crimson Tide to an SEC championship and College Football Playoff spot during what turned out to be his only season with the program since he transferred to Ohio State after Nick Saban retired.

That was a massive development for the Buckeyes, as he instantly became one of the leaders of their defense during the 2024 campaign. All he did that season was finish as an All-American and help lead the Scarlet and Gray to a national title.

While the defense lost a number of key players such as Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Cody Simon, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and Lathan Ransom heading into the 2025 season, it remained arguably the nation's best unit during the regular season in large part because of Downs' ability and leadership.

With his impressive list of accomplishments and talent on the field, Downs checked in as the No. 1 overall player on the December big board from B/R's NFL Scouting Department. He was also rated as the top overall safety and the safety who is best in man coverage.

A scouting report from B/R's Daniel Harms called him "the single best prospect for the 2026 draft cycle" who is "going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him."

It also highlighted Downs' communication skill in the secondary, overall athleticism to play in zone or man coverage and his versatility to become "the ultimate chess piece" for a defense.

That scouting report names Travis Hunter and Kyle Hamilton as previous prospects with comparable grades and Eric Berry as a pro comparison. Berry was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro, underscoring the overall potential Downs will bring to the NFL level.

He will be one of the biggest prizes of the draft and will now look to secure his spot as a highly regarded prospect during the pre-draft process.