Caleb Downs has seen his role in the Ohio State football defense evolve

Caleb Downs prevented a handoff.

It was early in the second quarter when Ohio State beat Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals in the Rose Bowl last week when Downs raced toward running back Jordan James.

As the Ducks began a first down toward midfield, James ran to his right but had little room to run. Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles smothered him at the 43-yard line. James only gained 2 yards.

The stop offered a glimpse into how the Buckeyes’ use of Downs, the All-American safety, has evolved this season.

Before the snap, Downs lined up just a few feet behind Styles, close enough to the line of scrimmage that he looked like a middle linebacker.

Stream the Cotton Bowl on Fubo

With increasing frequency, the Buckeyes have moved downs closer to the line.

According to Pro Football Focus, Downs was in the box on 32% of his snaps in the first half of the regular season. Between the second half and the playoffs, Downs was in the box on 40% of his snaps.

“It allows me to read the line and the quarterback and get into the run game,” Downs said, “and make the pass.”

While Downs offers more run support from the box, he is versatile enough to be used at any spot in the secondary.

As a free safety, he also plays in the back of the field and as a cover receiver, as he did last season at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State.

“When you have me in the post, I can make plays,” Downs said. “If you have me as a man, I can make plays. If you have me in the box, I can make plays. For me it doesn’t really matter.”

More:Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman and Adam Jardy

The idea to expand his role in the box came from defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who wanted to make him more of a focal point in his top unit.

“When you have a guy like Caleb Downs, you don’t want to move him out of position to make plays,” Knowles said. “Caleb is a guy who can chase the run and play the pass. In such a situation, you keep him closer to the action. He’s a guy we need to make good plays in the run and pass.”

The results are easy to see. Downs averaged four tackles in his first six games of the regular season. He has averaged a six over the last eight years.

His presence helped the Buckeyes hold Oregon to minus-23 rushing yards. He totaled 10 tackles in OSU’s playoff games.

Few defenders clean up as much.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

Leave a Reply Cancel reply