New Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs Shares Crazy Transfer Portal Story

New Ohio State safety Caleb Downs had an interesting experience in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The Ohio State Buckeyes landed arguably the top name in the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, with former Alabama Crimson Tide star safety Caleb Downs committing to the program. 

Downs was the crowned jewel of an already stellar haul from the Buckeyes, that saw them land a new starting quarterback in Will Howard and a new star running back in Quinshon Judkins. 

And as soon as he stepped foot on campus in Columbus, Downs was already one of, if not the top talent on the entire roster. 

So it should come as no surprise that the moment he hit the portal, Downs became the top target of nearly every program in the country. Downs opened up about the experience during his first interviews with the program on Tuesday, sharing a crazy story on Tuesday. 

© Dale Zanine, USA TODAY

“I got 102 calls in one day – well not in one day, probably seven or eight hours,” Downs said. “Just being able to minimize what my mind was going through, that was a big thing for me to make a sound decision."

Despite the enormous amount of interest in his talent - including from the likes of Georgia, Texas and other top programs with already impressive transfer hauls - it was the Buckeyes that won out in the end. 

So what separated the Buckeyes? Downs' relationship with head coach Ryan Day, and secondary coach Tim Walton. 

“I just love the program here, I love Coach Walton, and love what the people had to say around here. I believe in Coach Day, and I believe in this team.”

Elite Five-Star Receiver Talent To Visit Ohio State

With Downs now in the fold, the Buckeyes secondary - which was already massively talented - is arguably the best in the country, with the former Crimson Tide star projected to line up as a starter next to fellow safety Lathan Ransom, with as Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, and Davison Igbinosun manning the three corner spots. 

And with that talented of a secondary buoyed by an already dominant front seven, picking the Buckeyes was an easy choice for the 2024 All-American candidate.

“They played great defense last year, he said. “Just watching the film and seeing how they progressed and seeing how their defense played last year definitely helped me make a sound decision and what I would be getting into.”