In our second edition of what you can expect to be a regular feature in this newsletter, here’s a closer look at three things that caught my ear during interviews at Ohio State after practice Friday.
On the second day of preseason football practice at Ohio State, we learned Caleb Downs is so good the coaching staff can just put him at whatever position they need to take a look at other guys, Jeremiah Smith misses being able to go to the grocery in peace, and Matt Patricia is excited about some different rules in college football vs. the NFL.
(Ed. note: I planned on this being a one-item feature most of the time, but we’ll see how it evolves. Preseason is a little unique anyway as we get lots of people at one time…)
You probably know Downs is an All-American safety, but did you know Ohio State has three different safety positions, and he can play them all?
Last season he seemed to be at his best at the middle or “Bandit” position, but he can also play to the boundary (called the Adjustor) or in the slot (Nickel).
Here’s what that means this preseason: Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia revealed it allows the coaches to take different looks at multiple other young DBs to see who fits the best at which spot rather than have them audition to be Downs’ partner in one role.
“And I think creating jobs for guys in that sense is really important to kind of give them an opportunity to go learn and put themselves on the field. Caleb is such a versatile player that now you can do that. You can move him into some different spots to give those other guys a chance to get on the field in those roles.
“So I feel like that room is really working. I feel like there's some good young guys there that have an opportunity to kind of step up and contribute. So having that piece and moving that around is good for us to be able to evaluate those guys to see if we can, you know, through the course of the season do that.”
Seems like a pretty nice luxury to have…
Turns out being a star receiver has its downside.
While Smith took college football by storm last season as a freshman, his fame now prevents him from being able to spend some of that money he gets for his name, image and likeness at a place like Target in peace:
“It's been pretty hard for me because like I said, I like to go out and shop like that. I've been doing this since I was a little kid. I like to go out with my friends. Every time they want to go to the grocery store, I always go. So it's been pretty hard for me, you know, adjusting to that type of stuff.”
Patricia, Ohio State’s first-year defensive coordinator, spent most of his career in the NFL, so he said he has been watching a lot of film to hone in on the differences in rules between the pro and college games.
He said the hashmarks, which are much wider in college, make the biggest difference, but his eyes lit up when he mentioned subtle differences in rules for pass defense:
“…where we're allowed to jam and reroute and where we can't is a little bit different. I'm a little bit excited about what we can do.”
Matt Patricia smiled talking the difference in rules for DBs in college vs the NFL
— #Marcus Hartman (#@marcushartman)
8:47 PM • Aug 1, 2025
He was likely referring to defensive backs being able to be more physical throughout the play in college while any contact beyond five yards is illegal in the NFL (a rule that is enforced ruthlessly and to the detriment of the viewing experience if you ask me).
If I took anything away from being able to watch the first two practices of the preseason, it was that Ohio State is ridiculously deep in the secondary, where ace recruiter and secondary coach Tim Walton has stocked the cupboard with a bunch of big, impressive athletes who are competing for playing time this month.
If you want to see more of what he had to say after the first two practices, check out my YouTube channel, and for more great sportswriting, check out my buddy Matt Brown’s newsletter that focuses on the business of college sports.
