Jaylen McClain doesn’t have to be Caleb Downs. That’s the wrong standard, and Ohio State knows it.
What the Buckeyes need now is a safety who can anchor the back end, command trust and grow into a bigger voice on a defense that lost plenty. McClain is positioned to do exactly that.
The third-year safety is coming off the kind of season that turns a former under-the-radar recruit into a real difference-maker. In 2025, he started all 14 games at strong safety, stepping into the opening left when Lathan Ransom moved on after the 2024 National Championship year.
He played 816 snaps across safety and special teams, finished sixth on the team with 53 tackles and added three pass break-ups. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 78.1, which is considered above average.
His stat line held up in the areas that matter most for a safety. McClain missed only four tackles, allowed 84 receiving yards and did not give up a touchdown. That production earned him third-team All-Big Ten honors, even if a lot of the attention around Ohio State’s secondary was understandably centered on Caleb Downs.
McClain’s rise has been a steady one. He arrived in Columbus as the No. 36-ranked safety and No. 375 overall recruit, then worked his way into a first-year starting role that already looks like it was only the beginning. He appeared in 15 games as a freshman and even logged 11 plays in the National Championship game, giving him a feel for the pressure that comes with the biggest moments.
That experience showed up when the lights were brightest last season. The two games in which he piled up the most tackles came in major spots: the 2025 season-opener against Texas, when he set a career high with eight tackles, and the Big Ten Championship against Indiana, when he recorded six tackles on 69 plays.
Now the opportunity gets bigger. With Downs off to start his professional career after being selected No. 11 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, McClain returns as the clear candidate to hold down his starting spot and take on a more visible leadership role. He’s also one of four players named an Iron Buckeye after winter workouts, an honor reserved for players who show “unquestionable training, dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership.”
The Buckeyes aren’t asking him to replace Downs by himself. That’s not realistic for anyone. What they do need is for McClain to become part of the solution, both on the field and in the locker room, as Ohio State tries to absorb the loss of Downs, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese.
There is plenty for McClain to build on. At 6-foot and 201 pounds, he has the experience, the production and the familiarity with Ohio State’s expectations. Safety also rewards players who can process the game quickly and anticipate routes without overthinking, and McClain has already logged enough snaps to keep sharpening that part of his game.
He also had the benefit of spending last season alongside Downs, an All-American and Thorpe Award-winner who shaped the Buckeye defense and finished his career as one of the most decorated defensive backs in school history. That kind of apprenticeship matters, and it should show up in the way McClain handles the next step.
He won’t be alone in the secondary, either. Terry Moore, a senior transfer from Duke, is expected to earn the starting job at free safety after missing last season with a torn ACL. In 2024, Moore put together 71 total tackles, five pass breakups, a sack, two forced fumbles and four interceptions.
Put McClain and Moore together, and Ohio State has a pairing with real potential.
McClain has already proven he can deliver in big games, and he’s done more than enough to earn the staff’s trust. If he keeps trending the way he has over his first two seasons, the Buckeyes may look back and realize the secondary didn’t need one superstar to survive the loss of Caleb Downs. It just needed Jaylen McClain to keep growing into the player he’s becoming.
In Other News...
Joel Klatt Sees One Thing Holding Back Ohio State's 2026 Offense
Julian Sayin enters 2026 with a lot of attention on him, and not just because he is projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt has him ranked No. 10 nationally and sees plenty to like in the Buckeyes setup, especially with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith now in place and a fresh cast of weapons around him, including transfer receiver Kyle Parker.
Klatt also sees a clear area where Ohio State can unlock more from the offense, arguing that Sayin has to play more aggressively when opportunities open downfield. He pointed to the way Sayin handles shorter situations, along with the way his mobility can shape those moments, as something the Buckeyes will need to account for if they want the offense to reach its ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Faces One Late Trap Game Ohio State Fans Should Watch
Oregons path this fall looks like one built for a national title push, with Dan Lannings team carrying high expectations into the season. But Brad Crawford of CBS Sports pointed to a late November road trip to Michigan State as the kind of game that can quietly complicate a contenders schedule, especially when the Ducks are trying to stay clean in the stretch run.
The matchup is set for Nov. 20 in East Lansing, and the concern is less about Oregons overall ceiling than about the kind of letdown spot that can sneak up on a team with bigger goals ahead. Michigan State, coached by Pat Fitzgerald, is viewed as capable of springing an upset even in a season where the Spartans are expected to struggle, which is exactly the sort of late trap game Ohio State fans will want to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Will Howard Is Already Giving Ohio State Fans Another Reason To Smile
Will Howard is already making the kind of impression that follows a quarterback from college into the pros. After his time at Ohio State, where he was praised for his work ethic and leadership, Howard has shown up in Pittsburgh as part of the Steelers backup quarterback battle following Aaron Rodgers retirement, and the early reaction around camp has been hard to miss.
Steelers fans made their preference loud with chants of We Want Will! even with Drew Allars local college ties in the mix. Howard still has to prove he can translate the traits that made him stand out in Columbus to the NFL level, but the support he has already drawn suggests Ohio State followers have another former Buckeye worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]