Defensive players just don't win the Heisman Trophy. It's even rarer than an NFL MVP being awarded to a defensive player, as twice as many defenders in the pros have won the top award as have in college. Charles Woodson is the only one to ever do that, and he did it before the turn of the century.
Could a 2025 player become just the second player to do so? One college football insider thinks it's possible. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs projects to be a top NFL draft choice, and he could be a sneaky long shot contender for college football's most prestigious award this season.
Caleb Downs could contend for the Heisman, insider claims
Caleb Downs is currently +18000, which puts him beyond long shots like Dylan Raiola and well behind favorites like Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith, and Cade Klubnik. But CBS Sports' Brad Crawford thinks Downs' case can't be ignored before the season. He's a very long shot, but if any defender can do it, it's the OSU safety.
"He might even get some punt return reps on special teams," Crawford said. "Downs made several critical game-changing plays during Ohio State's CFP semifinal win over Texas last season, including an instinctual stop down near the goal line and the victory-clinching interception at midfield in the final moments. The former five-star recruit and Alabama transfer could be the first defensive back off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft."
Downs is as impactful as anyone on the defensive side of the ball, and that's why he stands perhaps the best chance to end the offensive side's domination in this award, at least for one year. Given how offense-centric the sport is and how many good quarterbacks there are, not to mention the quality of some skill-position players that would have a leg up on Downs anyway, it is difficult to envision this, but that's why it's a long shot.