Caleb Downs named finalist for Thorpe Award, Bednarik Award
COLUMBUS — Ohio State superstar safety Caleb Downs isn’t putting up the same numbers he did last year at Alabama, when he had 107 total tackles and was a Freshman All American for the Crimson Tide.
But Downs is clearly one of the best defensive players in college football this fall, and his impact reaches far more than just the hard numbers. On Tuesday, Downs was named a finalist for the Bednarik Award, which has been given annually to the top defensive player in college football since 1995. He’s also a finalist for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the top defensive back in all of college football.
Downs has 50 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and three pass breakups for the Buckeyes this season. He’s one of the leaders of the unit. He also flashed his elite ability as a punt returner Saturday against Indiana, when he had a 79-yard touchdown on special teams in the biggest game of the season.
“He’s a special player, man,” Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard said of Downs. “He might be one of the best football players I’ve been around just period. He’s — he’s just so instinctual, so smart and, I mean, see what does with the ball in his hands, and he’s a defensive player. So, I mean, we watch the film.”
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Caleb Downs had a special moment for the Buckeyes.
“There was no doubt I was gonna field it” off the bounce, he said. “There was space there and everybody did a really good job blocking, our return unit [coached in large part by Brian Hartline]. We talked about it all week, we had a real good opportunity to do it this week.”
Ohio State has only had one winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award; defensive end Chase Young won it in 2019. Now Downs is aiming to become the second winner of that prestigious award. The Buckeyes have taken home the Thorpe Award twice: Malcolm Jenkins won it in 2008 and Antoine Winfield won it in 1998.
He made the first cut for both of those awards on Tuesday. Caleb Downs is now a finalist for both.
