A two-time unanimous All-American safety and Jim Thorpe Award winner whom Dallas traded up to land at No. 11 overall.
Caleb Downs arrived at Alabama as the nation's top-ranked safety recruit, won SEC Freshman of the Year, then followed Nick Saban's retirement with a transfer to Ohio State that produced a national championship and back-to-back unanimous All-American seasons. The Dallas Cowboys traded up with Miami to take him 11th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, pairing him with the secondary as a rookie playmaker.
Path to the league
Downs was rated the nation's top safety prospect out of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia, and was named All-American Bowl Player of the Year before choosing Alabama over Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State. After Saban's retirement, he transferred to Ohio State in 2024. The Cowboys traded the Nos. 12, 177 and 180 picks to Miami to move up and select him 11th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Downs won SEC Freshman of the Year at Alabama in 2023, then became a two-time unanimous All-American at Ohio State, winning the 2025 Lott Trophy, the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He was part of Ohio State's 2024 national championship team and finished his college career with 257 combined tackles across 44 games.
2025 season recap
In his final college season, Downs earned unanimous All-American honors for the second straight year while capturing the Jim Thorpe Award, the Lott Trophy and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, cementing his status as one of the top defensive players available in the 2026 draft class. Dallas signed him to a four-year, $28.9 million rookie contract with a $17.5 million signing bonus after selecting him 11th overall.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Caleb Downs
- Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Downs drafted by Cowboys as first-round pick
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Ohio State
- Hometown
- Hoschton, GA, USA
- Age
- 21
- Status
- active
