Ohio State S Caleb Downs was in the headlines during the Scouting Combine as rumors surfaced that he had a potentially degenerative ACL along with a partially torn meniscus.
Pat McAfee previously reported that an NFL team told him there weren’t significant concerns about Downs’ health that would hurt his draft stock.
During Ohio State’s Pro Day, Downs spoke on the rumors about his medicals. He cited McAfee’s report and doubled down, saying the reports are not true and he’s just going to ignore the noise going forward.
“That’s not what my medical said, so, it is what it is,” Downs said, via Jaron May. “I don’t really know who gave him that information, whoever that dude is, but it is what it is. I’m just going to continue to do me. I can’t control that or what people say.”
Downs, 21, transferred to Ohio State in 2024 after one year in Alabama. He won this year’s Jim Thorpe Award for being the best defensive back in college football, along with earning the Lott Trophy for being the best defensive player of the year.
He earned Unanimous All-American honors in 2024 and 2025, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2024 and 2025, First-team All-Big Ten in 2024 and 2025, second-team All-American in 2023, and first-team All-SEC in 2023, and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2023.
For his college career, Downs appeared in 30 games for Ohio State and 14 games for Alabama, recording 257 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, six interceptions, 12 pass defenses, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles.
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