Ohio State’s NIL Collective Wastes No Time Flexing Caleb Downs Signing Like NFL Free Agent
Ohio State received a commitment from Caleb Downs on Friday night and sent shockwaves across college football. The former Alabama defensive back entered the transfer portal shortly after Kalen DeBoer was announced as Nick Saban’s successor. He was considered a lock to Georgia.
However, it was the Buckeyes who got the job done.
The top-ranked player in the transfer portal stands 6-foot-0, 203 pounds. Downs was a five-star recruit in last year’s recruiting class and led the Crimson Tide with 107 tackles as a freshman.
Ohio State’s NIL collective — THE Foundation — wasted no time flexing its signing after the commitment was first announced. Pete Thamel broke the news at 8:35pm ET.
THE Foundation announced its “partnership” with Downs three minutes later and even included a wink.
Downs never formally declared his intentions to play in Columbus on X, formerly known as Twitter. He only shared THE Foundation’s post.
This is the new reality of college football!
Caleb Downs is getting paid paid.
Now, to be clear — THE Foundation is not the first collective to post a similar announcement. Any well-run collective is taking a similar, NFL free agency-like approach. Many of them are posting partnerships.
THE Foundation did the same thing with Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, etc. It’s nothing new.
However, Downs’ signing in particular is a direct reflection of the NIL era. Everybody, literally everybody, outside
of Ohio believed that he would play in Athens for Kirby Smart and Travaris Robinson, his former defensive backs coach at the University of Alabama. It was inevitable for Georgia.
Then, winking, THE Foundation entered. Does this warrant more discussion? An emoji may convey a lot.
The amount of NIL money Downs will receive at Ohio State is unknown. But a Power-5 level director of player personnel revealed to 247 Sports that the outstanding sophomore will receive “top quarterback money.”
He really is a millionaire or more. Definitely worth the extra two years you have with him.
— P5 DPP
Ryan Day assembled an incredible lineup for the upcoming season with assistance from the university’s NIL arm. The icing on the cake is Downs.
