Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs leaves the field with a rose in his mouth following the 42-17 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in the College Football Playoff first round game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024. Ohio State will face Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes Football Stars Gathered Major Attention at Memorial Tournament

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Seth Orlemann | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 9:40 AM ET

Over the weekend, the PGA Tour made its way to Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial Tournament. The tournament, which is not a major, was played at Muirfield Village Golf Club, a destination less than 30 minutes north of Ohio Stadium.

The weekend showcased some of the biggest stars in golf including Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, and Scottie Scheffler, who took home the win for his second time. Scheffler, the 2024 Masters winner, has now won 3 tournments this year and is one of the sport's most prolific names.

Despite the major names at Jack's Place, a name paying omage to former golfing great Jack Nicklaus, who owns and hosts the tournament, there were two people in the crowd seemingly drawing more attention than the golfers: Ohio State Buckeyes players Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles.

With the tournament being within range of The Shoe and Ohio State's campus, it is not unexpected to see a lot of Ohio State gear in the crowd, but the National Champions were an exciting surprise.

The biggest golf stars in the world at Muirfield, yet the longest line for pictures seems to be Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles: pic.twitter.com/fkKavDO0tR
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) June 1, 2025

Styles and Downs both headline a powerful Buckeyes defense that is fresh off a National Championship from January of 2025 and cemented themselves in the rich history of the school, as stated by head coach Ryan Day.

Downs, who was recently showcased on the cover of EA Sports NCAA College Football 2026 alongside Day and teammate Jeremiah Smith, is expected to have yet another massive year for the Scarlet and Gray.

He is widely regarded as the No. 1 defensive playing in America in 2025 and is expected to be watched and considered for every major defensive national award.

Styles will be a critial leader on the Buckeyes defense this fall, having played 906 defense snaps last season, second only to Downs (922).

With Day and the Buckeyes hosting many recruits for official visits, this can be yet another story the team points to in order to showcase one of the many reasons why Columbus can and should be their home. The Buckeyes and their fans are unlike any other team in the country.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: