CFB Zeitgeist Score
71
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by tackles for loss at the 80th percentile.
Caleb Downs
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
68 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
Dallas2026 NFL rookie season
#11Rd 1 · Pick 11
Dallas2026 NFL rookie season
S · OHIO STATE · BIG TEN
Caleb Downs
- 3
- #2
- 6-0 | 205 lb
- Hoschton, GA
Heisman Heat
#3980
<1% win probability
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
<1%
TOP DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR07 · Impact starter
Impact starter. Producing measurable value above replacement.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
2 seasons on the ladder
2023
Alabama · S
R11 · National watch / fringe AA
Recognized
★
2025
Ohio State · S
R14 · Unanimous All-American
Elite
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 1, Pick 11 · #11 overall · Dallas
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
R1 · #11
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5-star | 0.9953 | No. 7 recruit | HighSchool | Alabama |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Alabama -> Ohio State | 5-star | 0.9900 | Immediate |
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
Achievements
- Honors Badge 0.7% Honors Badge Recognized on a major honors list (Heisman, All-American, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Nagurski, Biletnikoff). Held by 0.7% of the 2025 pool. Recognized on: All-America (AFCA).
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★★★
to Alabama
Composite
0.9953
#7 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 1, Pick 11
#11 overall · Dallas
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on Caleb Downs
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about Caleb Downs
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 14g
68Tackles
5Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Per game
5Tackles
0.4Tackles for loss
0.1Sacks
Final
68Tackles
5Tackles for loss
1Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
Caleb Downs is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Ohio State's defense, with 1.0 sacks, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
DEF season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
High-disruption defender | Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
68 94th
SOLO
45 97th
TFL
5.0 89th
SACK
1.0 82nd
QBH
1 44th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
1 43rd
INT
2 87th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 14 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 14-7vs Texas | 5 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 70-0vs Grambling | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 37-9vs Ohio | 6 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 24-6@ Washington | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 42-3vs Minnesota | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-16@ Illinois | 9 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 34-0@ Wisconsin | 6 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 38-14vs Penn State | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 34-10@ Purdue | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 12 | W 48-10vs UCLA | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 42-9vs Rutgers | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 27-9@ Michigan | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 15 | L 10-13vs Indiana | 8 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 14-24vs Miami | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 68 | 45 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Alabama12-2HC: Nick Saban · Run-heavy
2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | 68 | 45 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Alabama | 107 | 70 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 2 loaded seasons | 175 | 115 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 68 | #293/4942 | 94th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 5.0 | #553/4972 | 89th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 1.0 | #872/4972 | 82nd pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 2 | #114/869 | 87th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 1 | #1241/2184 | 43rd pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | QB hurries | 1 | #1051/1878 | 44th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 45 | #128/4584 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
UNANIMOUS AA
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
UNANIMOUS AA · Rung 14 of 16
Why he’s here
Unanimous All-American — 1st team on all five NCAA-recognized selectors.
What moves him up
The only step up is a Player-of-the-Year invite.
What moves him down
Losing a selector drops this to Consensus.
Accolade streams
Status—
Recognized on the Thorpe list (1).
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 14 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home9g | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Road5g | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins12g | 4.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Losses2g | 8.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 5.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+7g | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the S cohort
71Solid starter
Elite: solo tackles (95th). Strength: tackles (90th).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · S · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
Caleb DownsOhio StateTJ DotteryOle Miss· 90% simJohnny Chaney Jr.Florida International· 88% simJonJon VaughnsUCLA· 86% sim
Solo tackles
Tackles
Tackles for loss
Interceptions
Sacks
QB hurries
Passes defended
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Chamarri Conner’s 2022 season.
Chamarri Conner
91%match
NFL Rd 4
#2
Isaiah Lewis
90%
#3
Delano Ware
87%
#4
Amir Tyler
84%
#5
Sydney Brown
NFL Rd 3 · Pk 3
84%
Matches Chamarri on
Tackle volume
Height
Weight
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Durante Jones's junior season at UConn (2023).
Durante Jones
92%match
#2
Alex Odom
88%
#3
Brandon Hill
NFL Rd 7
84%
#4
Kip Lewis
82%
#5
Robert Woodyard Jr.
79%
Matches Durante on
Class year
Height
PD rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Pass share
47.0%
408 pass / 461 run
Plays / game
62.1
14 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
4.9%
267 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
1 coach2023
Ryan Day
Ohio State
2025
Ryan Day
Ohio State
Played his entire career under Ryan Day.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownHoschton, GA
Height6'0"
Weight205 lb
Class3
PositionS
Jersey2
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamOhio State
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc3 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🏆
ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS
Consensus AA (2025)
10 first-team selectors
🏅
POSITION AWARDS
Thorpe
2025 season
🥈
ALL-CONFERENCE · 1ST TEAM
All-Conf 1st team (2025)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
23 All-America selections
National selector recognition is one of the strongest non-Heisman signals on a player card and should sit near the top of the showcase.
5 all-conference honors
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lott IMPACT | position_award | Ohio State | Lott IMPACT | winner | DB |
| 2025 | Thorpe | position_award | Ohio State | Thorpe | winner | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (USA Today) | all_america | USA Today | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (SI) | all_america | SI | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (ESPN) | all_america | ESPN | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (CBS) | all_america | CBS | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (The Athletic) | all_america | The Athletic | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (WCFF) | all_america | WCFF | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (SN) | all_america | SN | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (FWAA) | all_america | FWAA | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (AP) | all_america | AP | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (AFCA) | all_america | AFCA | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (Consensus) | all_america | Ohio State | Consensus | -- |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | DB |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | TATU |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | NAGU |
| 2024 | All-America (SI) | all_america | SI | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (ESPN) | all_america | ESPN | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (USA Today) | all_america | USA Today | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (The Athletic) | all_america | The Athletic | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (CBS) | all_america | CBS | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (WCFF) | all_america | WCFF | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (SN) | all_america | SN | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (FWAA) | all_america | FWAA | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (AP) | all_america | AP | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (AFCA) | all_america | AFCA | DB |
| 2024 | All-America (Consensus) | all_america | Ohio State | Consensus | -- |
| 2024 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | DB |
| 2024 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Ohio State | Big Ten | TATU |
| 2023 | All-America (PFF) | all_america | Alabama | PFF | first | DB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ohio State | S3 | #3980 | #3561 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | Alabama | S3 | #3523 | #3508 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | SEC |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ohio State | Big Ten | S | 3 | No. 2 | 6-0 | 205 lb | Hoschton, GA |
| 2024 | Ohio State | Big Ten | S | 3 | No. 2 | 6-0 | 205 lb | Hoschton, GA |
| 2023 | Alabama | SEC | S | 3 | No. 2 | 6-0 | 205 lb | Hoschton, GA |