Ohio State star Caleb Downs drops blunt reaction to DC Jim Knowles’ departure to Penn State
Ohio State has just won the national title, but Ryan Day already has new problems to deal with. On Sunday, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles departed the program and joined rival Big Ten school, Penn State. This might not be as problematic as it sounds, given that Ryan Day is heavily involved with the defensive side of things and continuity can be expected.
However, Knowles is joining a conference rival while potentially being full of secrets and inside information about the reining national champions. If this is worrying someone at Columbus, that person isn't Caleb Downs. The safety almost downplayed the situation when speaking on Monday with WBNS about it.
"At the end of the day, time moves on," star safety Caleb Downs told WBNS TV on Monday via 247Sports.com. "I respect all he's done for the team, all the decisions and the time he's put in, especially with the seniors. I just wish him the best.
"The team is still going to be as strong, and the coaching staff is still very experienced. There are great leaders on this team. It's a good feeling to have, and we can trust their knowledge. ...I can't do anything about it at the end of the day. He felt like that was the best thing for his career. We got to move on and continue to grow as a team," he added.
Knowles is set to receive a big pay raise from the Nittany Lions, who are set to give him $3.1 million. An important increase from the $1.9 million he was being paid by Ohio State.
What Ryan Day expects from his QB room as Ohio State prepares for 2025 season
Will Howard is off to the NFL, which means that former five-star Julian Sayin is in the driver's seat to become the next quarterback of Ohio State. Speaking recently on 97.1 The Fan, coach Ryan Day spoke about what he expects from his QB room in 2025.
"So when you guys come back in about two weeks, you gotta look different, you gotta walk different, you gotta act different, because now you’re fighting to become the starting quarterback at Ohio State," Day said via On3.com. "We have some really talented guys in that room, and, you know, looking forward to see what the competition brings."
Former four-star Lincoln Keinholz and five-star freshman Tavien St. Clair complete the quarterback room. St. Clair is considered the third-best quarterback in the current class, and the best in the state of Ohio.