During his Tuesday press conference, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day shockingly announced that superstar safety Caleb Downs has been spending time with the running backs and could play some snaps on offense this upcoming season.
Obviously, this is a pretty shocking announcement as Caleb Downs is arguably the top safety in the entire country and playing him at running back would seem to open him up to potential injuries that could have otherwise been avoided. The move is especially shocking considering the Buckeyes have arguably the top running back tandem in the entire country with TreVeyon Henderson returning and the addition of Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins.
But during his press conference on Tuesday, Ryan Day explained the decision a bit as he revealed that the team discussed this possibility with Downs during the recruiting process as the team tried to secure his commitment out of the transfer portal following his decision to leave the Alabama Crimson Tide.
From the sound of it, Downs was interested in possibly playing running back in addition to his full-time role at safety on defense, and Ohio State was willing to allow him to take some reps at the position in order to add a little bit of depth at an important position where depth has been lacking in recent years.
“We started having conversations with Caleb during the recruiting process of him doing a little bit of running back as well,” Day said during his press conference according to Eleven Warriors. “It’s something he wanted to do. We’ve been having him in the meetings and some of the individual drills – as a possibility there if he’s needed down the road – to continue to build depth at the position.”
Day would not commit to what Downs’ role could be on the offensive side of the ball, but he did acknowledge that he could play some snaps on offense this upcoming season.
“We’ll see,” Day said. “We’ll see where that goes. We don’t have a specific plan now, but we want to introduce him to (the running back position). … It’s healthy. You’re seeing it from the other side of the ball. This time of year, you can get away with that a little bit and a little bit in the preseason. Where it goes, we’ll see, but you just never know. We’re trying to put some contingency plans in place because it could be a long season.”
Of course, it’s unlikely that Downs will truly be a two-way player, especially this year with the Buckeyes boasting two of the best running backs in the country. But Day’s words do seem to suggest that the team plans to use Downs in more ways than just as a safety on the defensive side of the ball.
