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Beanie Wells names Caleb Downs best defender in college football
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Beanie Wells has given a player from his alma mater some love when it comes to who he thinks is the best overall defensive player in college football right now.
The CBS Sports college football analyst and former Ohio State star, on “Inside College Football,” thinks it’s Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs. The junior was a freshman All-American and first-team All-SEC selection at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State, being named first-team All-Big Ten and the B1G’s Defensive Back of the Year in 2024.
Wells foresees more of the same in 2025 for Downs, who’s being projected as a top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“(He) was one of the key field generals for Ohio State’s defense,” Wells said. “And if you can go back to some of those games in the College Football Playoff, he made critical plays to lead to them getting victories. He’s one of the best overall football players, not just defenders, in the country.”
In 2024, Downs made 82 tackles and 8 tackles for loss from his safety spot, while being credited with 6 passes defensed and 2 interceptions.
In the Buckeyes’ 4 CFP games, he totaled 20 tackles, adding an interception inside of 2 minutes to go in the Cotton Bowl semifinal against Texas.