In 1994, the Ohio State Buckeyes had a defensive player who was drafted No. 1 overall. A former scout team offensive tackle, Dan Wilkinson transformed into a consensus All-American defensive lineman before hearing his name called by the Cincinnati Bengals as the top pick. Since then, not a single OSU defensive player has cracked that elusive No. 1 spot. But that might change in 2026 with Ryan Day‘s team. 

On November 20, Bleacher Report’s latest top-150 prospects list OSU Caleb Downs as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. It planted him there with authority (9.3 grade) sitting ahead of linebackers, edge rushers, and blue-chip QBs alike. Ohio State stacked eight players inside the top 100, including LB Arvell Reese (No. 6) and WR Carnell Tate (No. 10), but it’s Downs who’s carrying the Buckeye flag closest to history. 

Saturday’s demolition of UCLA 48-10 was powered by a defense that Caleb Downs controls like a seasoned NFL veteran. Three tackles, a tackle for loss, and yet another game holding opponents to 10 points or fewer. In Matt Patricia’s first season calling the shots, he has become the Swiss-army blade. Whether it’s covering receivers on the edge or crashing the line of scrimmage, he can do it all. In 10 games, he recorded 46 tackles, four TFLs, two interceptions and one broken pass. And all that versatility has him chasing more than history. It has him chasing awards too. 

On Thursday, Caleb Downs was named a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, along with three other defensive standouts. If you recall, he played his freshman year at Alabama, where he was named a second-team All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year before transferring to Ohio State in 2025. Since joining the Buckeyes, he has become the anchor of a defense that’s firing on all cylinders. Last year, he was a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten’s Defensive Back of the Year. This season, he’s positioned himself as a frontrunner for the Nagurski, adding more fuel to the fire that he might be the first defensive Buckeye since Wilkinson to hear his name called first overall. Something Urban Meyer couldn’t achieve. 

Ryan Day’s defense overtakes Urban Meyer’s

Urban Meyer was the master of winning in a way that few college coaches can replicate. A career record of 165-29 is remarkable. But even he who led Ohio State to national titles in 2002 and 2014, never had a defensive player chosen No. 1 overall. Despite his unparalleled success with first-round talents like Joey Bosa, Chase Young, and Marshon Lattimore, his reign didn’t include that coveted top pick from the defensive side.

Fast forward to Ryan Day, who took the reins in 2019 and has consistently churned out first-rounders. This year’s Ohio State’s defense is statistically absurd. The Buckeyes sit at No. 1 in SP+, a metric with pure, data-driven dominance. That dominance shows up everywhere. The Buckeyes are holding opponents to 7.5 points per game, a full four points better than the next stingiest defense. 

Their 82.1% stop rate is absurd by any standard. For context, most top-10 defenses would kill for something in the low 70s. Ohio State lives in the 80s, forcing three-and-outs with consistency. And when teams actually manage to reach the red zone, OSU has allowed just 11 scores all year with six touchdowns, five field goals. 

What lets Caleb Downs shine is how perfectly the ecosystem fits his strengths. The corners choke off passing lanes so tightly QBs are forced into desperation. The linebackers, especially Arvell Reese, scrape sideline-to-sideline. The front seven collapses pockets with such steady pressure that QBs throw early, late, or nowhere near where they intended. But now, the question is, can Ryan Day’s Buckeyes snap the 32-year streak and have a defensive player go No. 1? With their star, they’re closer than ever.