“Ohio State has three of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference for 2025, as senior LB Sonny Styles, junior SAF Caleb Downs, and sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith were each chosen to the Big Ten’s Preseason Honors team,” Ohio State said in a statement.

Downs returns as the Big Ten’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year and the key figure in a defense replacing all but three starters. He’s coming off a year where he recorded 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and six pass breakups.

The college football season starts with two teams alone at the top of the Big Ten power rankings and a host of teams chasing the leaders.