How they got here: Mapping out career path of each new Buckeyes safety

COLUMBUS — Josh Proctor exhausted his college eligibility. Ja’Had Carter transferred. So did Cedrick Hawkins Jr., Kye Stokes and Cameron Martinez. Plus, Sonny Styles moved down to linebacker.

There’s been a lot of changes to the Ohio State safety room this offseason.

The biggest, however, was the addition of Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, arguably the best safety in college football right now. Downs will join forces with fifth-year veteran Lathan Ransom in a position group that’s now led by Matt Guerrieri.

ICYMI: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each returning Buckeyes safety

Lettermen Row is mapping out how each new Buckeyes safety got to this point in his career, starting with Downs.

Caleb Downs

On3 Industry Ranking (2023 Recruiting Class): No. 5 nationally, No. 1 S, No. 1 Georgia

Safety Caleb Downs drops back in coverage during 2024 Ohio State spring practice. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Before Ohio State landed Caleb Downs in the transfer portal, the Buckeyes took a swing at him when he was a high school star at Mill Creek. He turned heads nationally his junior season when he scored in five different ways: four rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, two interception return touchdowns, one kickoff return touchdown and one touchdown pass. As a senior, he registered 66 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and a fumble recovery. Downs also played basketball and baseball in high school, even helping Mill Creek reach the Georgia AAAAAAA state tournament on the hardwood. But football runs in his family. His brother Josh played wide receiver at North Carolina before getting picked in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. Caleb Downs’ father, Gary, was a running back for the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. Plus, his uncle, Dré Bly, was a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback who won Super Bowl XXXIV with the then-St. Louis Rams.

As a high school recruit, Downs chose Alabama over Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He became a starting safety and then became the first true freshman since at least 1970 to lead Alabama in total tackles over the course of a single season. He tallied 107, including 70 solos — the 14th most of any player in the country last year — to go along with his 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four pass break-ups and one forced fumble. Downs missed only 14 tackles all year, logging a missed tackle rate of 11.4%, according to Pro Football Focus. Of the 10 safeties with the most tackles in 2023, per PFF, Downs had the fourth-lowest missed tackle rate. That said, he did allow 33 receptions on 51 targets for 453 yards and two touchdowns.

While he thrived at strong safety at Alabama, he’s expected to start at free safety at Ohio State. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Downs can pretty much play anywhere on the field. During his lone season at Alabama, he lined up 287 snaps at deep safety, 285 snaps in the box, 268 snaps in the slot, 28 snaps on the corner and 21 snaps on the defensive line, according to PFF. Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day even mentioned earlier this summer that Ohio State could use Downs at running back as well, if need be (for as much depth as the Buckeyes have across the board, the have just four scholarship backs in 2024). Day said that was part of Ohio State’s recruiting conversations with Downs both the first and second time the Buckeyes tried to land him. When he was in the transfer portal this winter, Downs picked Ohio State over his home state university, recent two-time champion Georgia.

Keenan Nelson Jr.

On3 Industry Ranking (2022 Recruiting Class): No. 323 nationally, No. 33 S, No. 10 Pennsylvania

Safety Keenan Nelson Jr. returns a blocked punt for a touchdown against Vanderbilt during the 2023 season. (Chris Gillespie/GamecockCentral)

Ohio State needed to bolster its safety depth during the spring transfer window, particularly after Carter left for North Carolina State. Enter, Keenan Nelson Jr., the latest St. Joseph’s Prep product to hop aboard the Buckeyes’ train. St. Joe’s is the alma mater of not only Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles but also that of superstar wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. and 2023 Buckeyes starting quarterback Kyle McCord. Nelson, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 10 Pennsylvania prospect in the 2022 class, overlapped with both McCord and Harrison in high school. Nelson earned a trip to the All-American Bowl before he started a two-season stint at South Carolina.

He maintained his redshirt his first year with the Gamecocks, playing the maximum four games while still preserving his status. He even started the Gator Bowl against Notre Dame. He notched four total tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass break-up in the loss, during which, according to PFF, he was targeted nine times. He allowed six receptions for 58 yards, per PFF. Of his 63 defensive snaps in the postseason game, 44 came in the slot, according to PFF. Last season, Nelson made three additional starts. He got the nod at “nickel” the first two games of the year but struggled mightily in the opener against UNC. He allowed five receptions on five targets for 77 receiving yards and two touchdowns in that game alone, per PFF. He didn’t see defensive snaps against FBS competition again until Week 9 versus Texas A&M. Although he gave up just one catch, it went for 33 yards, including 18 after the catch, per PFF. Nelson did block a punt and return it for six against Vanderbilt last season, and he finished the year with 61 special teams snaps. He could make an impact on special teams right away at Ohio State. His coverage skills will likely have to improve before he can see extended action on defense.

Jaylen McClain

On3 Industry Ranking (2024 Recruiting Class): No. 490 nationally, No. 44 S, No. 8 New Jersey

Ohio State true freshman safety Jaylen McClain looks on during the 2024 spring game. (Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Along with redshirt freshman Jayden Bonsu, Jaylen McClain is another Jersey native who capitalized on a thin safety room at Ohio State this offseason. McClain enrolled early after a stellar senior year at Seton Hall Prep. He totaled 126 tackles with three fumble recoveries, one blocked punt and one blocked field goal while earning first-team all-conference and all-state honors in 2023. Even so, McClain clocked out as the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 490 overall prospect — and No. 44 safety — in the 2024 class.

Recruiting rankings don’t mean everything, though, and the former three-star prospect has shown why in his first months at Ohio State. Guerrieri pointed out this spring that McClain is consistently among the highest-graded Buckeyes defenders when it comes to tracking how they run to the ball in practice. Guerrieri also said that McClain has good range in the post and has shown promise in how he fades gaps and fills in the alley on breakthrough runs. Attitude and effort have helped McClain make a good first impression with the Buckeyes. He finds his way to the ball, like in the spring game when he undercut a throw from classmate Julian Sayin, made the interception and might have returned it for six had Ohio State not been playing to “thud” in the exhibition.

Leroy Roker

On3 Industry Ranking (2024 Recruiting Class): No. 697 nationally, No. 72 S, No. 90 Florida

Leroy Roker is another one of the Buckeyes’ more unheralded 2024 signees. He joined the team this summer after completing his career at Bishop Verot. The Fort Myers, Florida, native left high school as the No. 697 overall prospect, and No. 72 safety, in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. A late bloomer, Roker originally focused on basketball but began shifting gears when it became clear that he had a future at a power conference school on the gridiron. Roker has a nose for the ball and flirted with a double-digit interception total as a senior. His debut trip to Ohio State was an official visit. It took place last October during the weekend of the Maryland game. A few days later, Roker committed to the Buckeyes.

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