Caleb Downs.
That's it. That's the lede. The other pieces will fall into place, but with arguably the best defender in college football back on Ohio State's roster in 2025, the rest of the safety room could be filled with 12-year-olds and the position would probably still be a strength for the Buckeyes this year.
Hyperbole aside, the competition between junior Malik Hartford and sophomore Jaylen McClain to replace Lathan Ransom alongside Downs will be among the most interesting to follow this offseason for Ohio State. The scheme of new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia could also throw a curveball into how they – and potentially incoming freshman Faheem Delane – are utilized this season.
In Line to Start: Caleb Downs
How often do Jim Thorpe Award finalists return for another collegiate season?
Downs stood on a stage with Georgia safety Malaki Starkes and Thorpe winner/Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron in December as one the three best defensive backs in college football as a mere sophomore. He collected 82 tackles with eight tackles for loss, six pass breakups, two interceptions and Ohio State's first punt return touchdown in a decade.
SPRING POSITION PREVIEWS
As a freshman All-American at Alabama, Downs racked up 107 tackles, four TFLs, four PBUs and two picks. He's lived up to every bit of his billing as the No. 1 safety in the recruiting class of 2023.
Downs was a force all season for Ohio State, but his presence was especially felt toward the end of the campaign when former DC Jim Knowles opted for more looks featuring Downs in the middle of the field 10 to 12 yards off the ball with nickel Jordan Hancock sliding back to a deep safety role. Downs could use his exceptional instincts, film study and athleticism to roam the field and make plays wherever he was needed.
Such looks are absolutely in the catalog of Patricia, a DC known for his multiple defenses and variety of personnel packages. Regardless of where he's placed in the defensive formation, Downs will be the centerpiece of the Silver Bullets in 2025.
Competing to Start: Malik Hartford, Jaylen McClain
Lathan Ransom left some hard-hitting shoes to fill in Ohio State's secondary when he exhausted his eligibility following the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship run. Hartford and McClain have both shown early promise in Columbus, however.
Hartford, an in-state standout, might be the frontrunner with an additional year of experience under his belt. He cut his teeth with 158 snaps as a true freshman in 2023, picking up 10 tackles and emerging as the team's No. 4 safety behind Ransom, Sonny Styles and Josh Proctor.
In 2024, Hartford's usage decreased a bit to only 94 snaps, during which he recorded eight tackles and a PBU. It should be noted that he missed all of spring practice with a shoulder injury, losing vital development time between his first and second years in the program. He impressed Matt Guerrieri last fall and has shown flashes.
McClain entered with less recruiting acclaim than some of his 2024 classmates, but as a freshman, he displayed why he may have deserved a higher ranking than the composite No. 373 prospect in the class. It started in the spring game when he made a fantastic read to undercut a Bryson Rodgers out-route and intercept Julian Sayin.
Jaylen McClain picks off fellow freshman Julian Sayin in the spring game. pic.twitter.com/04OHiSVXBB
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) April 13, 2024
The surge continued in preseason camp, where he was the first Buckeye to shed his black stripe and kept impressing in practices open to the media. He leapfrogged the more veteran Keenan Nelson Jr. and Jayden Bonsu on Ohio State's depth chart, prompting the latter's transfer to Pitt.
McClain made his first career start against Nebraska on Oct. 26, playing strong safety in Ohio State's 4-3 package while Ransom was injured. In 106 snaps, McClain collected 15 tackles, a TFL and a PBU. If the Buckeyes are looking for a traditional strong safety to play near the box and influence the running game, McClain's skill set might be better tailored to that, too.
Then again, there's a possibility both Hartford and McClain are on the field together with Downs, whether that's in Patricia's subpackages or the starting lineup. Hancock's ability to drop deep out of the nickel spot opened up Downs to play some of his best football. Lorenzo Styles Jr. is the frontrunner at nickel in his fifth year and other corners are nipping at his heels, but a three-safety lineup is an option to consider as well.
That's the unknown going into spring with a new DC and versatile athletes. Regardless, at least one of Hartford and McClain will be a key cog in Ohio State's defense this year.
The Depth
After the three names listed above, Ohio State's 2025 depth chart is pretty open at safety. That could leave the door open for composite top-60 prospect and midyear enrollee Faheem Delane to start earning serious reps in spring practice.
In theory, his biggest competition should come from the redshirt junior Nelson, who transferred from South Carolina last offseason. But he didn't play a single defensive snap last season after he was passed up by McClain, though he did see special teams work in 12 games.
Redshirt freshman Leroy Roker III, a three-star 2024 prospect, is the only other returning scholarship safety for the Buckeyes. Four-star signee DeShawn Stewart and three-star Cody Haddad join Delane as midyear enrollees to fill out the room.
Freshman to Watch: Faheem Delane
It's hard not to love Delane's game. Nothing quite defines the soul of American football than a vicious, downhill, hard-hitting strong safety. That's the terror Delane gave offenses while playing at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. And his athleticism made him lethal in coverage to boot. He had 69 tackles and 18 pass breakups as a junior in 2023.
He enters Ohio State with a stout 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame. Sometimes freshmen are too good to keep off the field, and there's a chance Delane is that kind of player, though it's more likely he waits a year behind Downs, Hartford and McClain before emerging as a second-year star.
