Top Buckeyes Emerge as Favorites for College Football’s Biggest 2025 Awards

Each season, it’s almost a given that a handful of Ohio State Buckeyes will be in line to grab the nation’s top individual postseason awards. 2025 will be no different, as the Buckeyes’ top offensive and defensive stars are primed to make a run at the nation’s top prizes, including the Heisman Trophy.

CBS Sports’ Will Backus released his predictions for the winners of the top postseason awards and shone a spotlight on two Buckeyes he predicts will walk away with four total awards.

Focusing first on defense, safety Caleb Downs is set for, presumably, a monster final season of college football in his junior season. The 2024 All-American is looking to add to his trophy case this season, particularly the prize for the nation’s top defensive back.

Thorpe and Nagurski Awards in Sight for Elite Safety

CBS Sports predicts Downs will walk away with the Thorpe Award and the Belitnikoff Award once the 2025 season reaches its end. As Backus points out in his article, Downs doesn’t have eye-popping statistics, but that can be a reality for many elite safeties such as him. Through his first two seasons, Downs has recorded just under 200 total tackles, secured four interceptions, and broken up 10 passes. Just by the numbers, his freshman season at Alabama is just a touch more impressive.

Nonetheless, few players at the safety position across the nation who demand such respect from opposing offenses. Quarterbacks avoid throwing in Downs’ territory while the wise ones are sure to bookmark where No. 2 is on the field in their pre-snap reads.

Downs comes into the 2025 season with high expectations, but it’s likely that he doesn’t need 80 solo tackles and eight interceptions to secure his awards. His talent might just speak for itself by season’s end.

Jeremiah Smith Primed for Biletnikoff—and More

Back on the offensive side of the ball, all eyes are on No. 4, sophomore receiver Jeremiah Smith. Unlike Downs, Smith does need eye-popping statistics to raid the trophy ceremony this year. His 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns earned him Big Ten Receiver of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and 1st-team All-American awards in 2024. 

CBS Sports rightfully predicted Smith as the winner of the 2025 Belitnikoff Award. While Smith will certainly have steep competition for the award, a replication of his freshman campaign might be enough to secure the award for the best receiver in the country. After all, coming into the season, many believe he is comfortably the best wideout in the nation.

Many of those same believers also see Smith as the best overall player in the nation, as well, which brings him into the Heisman Trophy conversation. CBS Sports predicted Smith to win the prestigious award this season, which would make him just the third receiver to do so, but the second in five seasons.

“Though the Heisman rarely goes to a wide receiver, Smith has the aura, media recognition and talent befitting college football's top award,” Backus wrote. ”It's not hard to see him collecting at least 1,500 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2025, especially with fellow top option Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL. And it's not like defenses can key in on Smith alone; Ohio State's wide receiver room is packed to the gills with talent.”

While Ohio State has the wide receiver talent, there are some question marks at quarterback. Lincoln Kienholz and Julian Sayin are battling for the right to toss passes to Smith and lead the Buckeyes in 2025. Smith is sure to dominate opposing defensive backs, but one of these quarterbacks has to get him the ball for Smith and the Buckeyes to meet and exceed expectations for an exciting season ahead.

Naturally, Smith being a favorite for the Hesiman also makes him a frontrunner for the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards as well. With another big season in Columbus, Smith could come away with some serious hardware in 2025.