COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Safety Caleb Downs is the latest Ohio State standout to declare for the NFL draft.
The two-time AP first-team All-American announced his decision on Wednesday during the “Downs 2 Business” podcast with his brother, Josh Downs, a wide receiver with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Someone told me the other day it's Champagne problems: Either way it's a celebration to go back to school and be with my teammates or get a chance to go the dream I had since I was a kid," Caleb Downs said. “But I think it's time to go to the NFL.”
Downs is projected as a top-10 pick and one of the first defensive players who could be selected in April's draft.
He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back and the Lott IMPACT Trophy as college football's top safety this season. He also was named the Big Ten's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year.
Downs — who finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting — was third on the Buckeyes with 68 tackles and also had two interceptions this season. Ohio State lost to Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl, dashing its hopes of consecutive national championships for the first time in school history.
Downs began his career at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State. In 2023, he was the first freshman to lead the Crimson Tide in tackles.
Wide receiver Carnell Tate announced Tuesday that he was forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the draft.
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Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) chases to recover his fumble after taking a hit from Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, bottom, during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
FILE - Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs plays against Penn State during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Two-time All-Pro cornerback and 2019 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, who last played in 2024, has announced his retirement.
Gilmore issued an Instagram post Thursday that showed video highlights of his career and closed with the message, “The game ends here, but the journey continues.”
“To my first love, Football — As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill, South Carolina, with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 — you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime,” Gilmore said in the post. “From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself.”
Gilmore also thanked his wife and kids “for making it possible for me to chase my dreams” and his parents “for raising me to be the man I am today.”
The 35-year-old Gilmore was the defensive player of the year and had a league-leading six interceptions in 2019 with the New England Patriots. He also earned All-Pro honors in 2018 during a Super Bowl championship season with the Patriots.
He had 32 interceptions and was selected to five Pro Bowls during a 13-year career that included stints with the Buffalo Bills (2012-16), Patriots (2017-20), Carolina Panthers (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022), Dallas Cowboys (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024). The Bills selected Gilmore out of South Carolina with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
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FILE - Carolina Panthers' Stephon Gilmore runs after an interception against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game Nov. 7, 2021, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman, File)
FILE - Indianapolis Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore (5) talks with cornerback Brandon Facyson (31) before an NFL football game, in Indianapolis, Nov. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)
FILE - Indianapolis Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore (5) breaks up a pass intended for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) during the first half of an NFL football game, Dec. 17, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
FILE - Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore (21) celebrates with his teammates after intercepting a pass during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Oct. 16, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
FILE - Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore warms up before an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sept. 15, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)
