Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 11, 2026

Caleb Downs

Caleb Downs is an American professional football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Downs played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes. With Ohio State, he won the 2024 national championship and was the recipient of the 2025 Lott Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award. Downs was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. He is the son of former football player Gary Downs and younger brother of wide receiver Josh Downs.

Last revised
Jun 11, 2026
Read time
≈ 5 min
Length
1,156 w
Citations
26
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Caleb Downs
Downs in 2025
No. 13 – Dallas Cowboys
PositionSafety
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2004-12-10) December 10, 2004
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight206 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolMill Creek (Hoschton, Georgia)
College
NFL draft2026: 1st round, 11th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Caleb Downs (born December 10, 2004) is an American professional football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Downs played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes. With Ohio State, he won the 2024 national championship and was the recipient of the 2025 Lott Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award. Downs was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. He is the son of former football player Gary Downs and younger brother of wide receiver Josh Downs.

Early life

Downs was born on December 10, 2004.1 He attended Mill Creek High School in his home town of Hoschton, Georgia, where he was a standout Football, Basketball and Baseball athlete.23 Downs was named the All-American Bowl Player of the Year as a senior.4 He was ranked as one of the top players in the 2023 college football recruiting class and considered the nation's No. 1 safety prospect.5 He was ranked No. 9 nationally by Rivals.com,6 No. 11 by ESPN7 and No. 8 by 247Sports.8 Downs was named the 2023 USA Today Defensive Football Player of the Year.9

College career

Downs with the Ohio State Buckeyes following their 2024 national championship source ↗

Downs committed to Alabama on July 27, 2022.10 He chose Alabama over Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State.11 In his debut, he led the team in tackles with eight.12 At the conclusion of his freshman season Downs was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.1314 Following the retirement of Nick Saban, he transferred to Ohio State.15 In Ohio State's 38–15 win over No. 5 Indiana, Downs returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown.16 At the conclusion of the 2024 season Downs was named a unanimous All-American.17 On January 7, 2026, he declared for the 2026 NFL draft.18

Off the field, Downs has been noted as one of the most prominent athletes in the "Name, Image, and Likeness" (NIL) era. He has secured several major endorsement deals, including a partnership with activewear brand Rhoback19 and an exclusive deal with trading card company Panini America.20

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span Wingspan
5 ft 11+5⁄8 in
(1.82 m)		 206 lb
(93 kg)		 30+1⁄4 in
(0.77 m)		 9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in
(1.86 m)
All values from NFL Combine2122

Downs was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round, with the 11th overall pick, of the 2026 NFL draft.2324 On May 1, 2026, he signed a four-year, $28.9 million contract with the Cowboys that included a $17.5 million signing bonus.25

Career statistics

College

Legend
Bold Career High
Year Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Cmb Solo Ast TFL Sck Int Yds Avg TD PD FF FR TD
2023 Alabama 14 107 70 37 3.5 0.0 2 11 5.5 0 4 1 1 0
2024 Ohio State 16 82 49 33 7.5 0.5 2 7 3.5 0 6 0 0 0
2025 Ohio State 14 68 45 23 5.0 1.0 2 0 0.0 0 2 2 0 0
Career 44 257 164 93 16.0 1.5 6 18 3.0 0 12 3 1 0

Personal life

Downs' father, Gary, played college football for NC State and for seven years in the National Football League as a running back. Gary is now a representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and coaches. His uncle, Dré Bly, played for the North Carolina Tar Heels and also played 11 years in the National Football League (NFL). Caleb's brother Josh also played with the Tar Heels, and is currently a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL.26

References

References

  1. Brugler, Dane. "Caleb Downs". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  2. Austin, Brooks (July 27, 2022). "Caleb Downs Commits to Alabama Football". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  3. "Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Safety". 247Sports. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  4. "Alabama 5-Star DB signee Caleb Downs named All-American Bowl National Player of the Year". Touchdown Alabama Magazine. January 7, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  5. Smith, Justin (December 21, 2022). "No. 1 safety Caleb Downs signs with Alabama football". Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  6. "Caleb Downs, 2023 Safety, Alabama". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  7. "Caleb Downs - Football Recruiting - Player Profiles". ESPN. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  8. "Caleb Downs, Alabama, Safety". 247sports.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  9. "2023 USA TODAY High School Sports Awards". USA Today Sports. July 30, 2023 – via YouTube.
  10. Fawcett, Hayes (July 27, 2022). "5-star safety Caleb Downs commits to Alabama". On3.com. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  11. "Caleb Downs". Alabama Crimson Tide.
  12. Stahl, Matt (September 4, 2023). "Caleb Downs impresses in Alabama football debut. Can he keep it up against Texas?". AL.com.
  13. Nakos, Pete (January 17, 2024). "Alabama safety, SEC Freshman of the Year Caleb Downs makes decision on NCAA Transfer Portal". On3. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  14. "2023 SEC All-Freshman Football Team Announced". SEC Sports. December 7, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  15. VanHaaren, Tom (January 20, 2024). "Source: Ex-Tide star safety Downs picks Ohio St". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  16. Curtright, Austin (November 23, 2024). "Watch: Caleb Downs returns punt 79 yards for OSU touchdown to open second half vs Indiana". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  17. "Caleb Downs, Seth McLaughlin Consensus All-Americans". Ohio State Buckeyes. December 19, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  18. Kaufman, Joey (January 7, 2026). "Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs declares for NFL draft". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  19. Yasis, Nathan (August 21, 2024). "Caleb Downs inks $50,000 NIL deal after Alabama transfer". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  20. "Top 10 NIL Deals in 2025 Include Julian Sayin, Carson Beck, and Arch Manning". Pro Football Network. November 8, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  21. Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Caleb Downs Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  22. "Caleb Downs College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  23. Moraitis, Mike (April 23, 2026). "Dallas Cowboys Hit Home Run with Trade Up for Caleb Downs Pick". Sports Illustrated.
  24. Walker, Patrik (April 23, 2026). "Caleb Downs drafted by Cowboys as first-round pick". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  25. Brinkerhoff, Nick (May 1, 2026). "Caleb Downs signs rookie deal with Cowboys: Contract details". USA Today. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  26. Patra, Kevin (May 7, 2026). "Josh Downs ready to show Caleb Downs he's 'little brother' when Colts face Cowboys". NFL.com. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
External links