Joel Klatt Names College Football Star Who Reminds Him of Troy Polamalu

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jan 11, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Joel Klatt compared one college football star to a Pro Football Hall of Famer during Saturday's edition of "The Joel Klatt Show" podcast.

The No. 8 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes beat No. 5 Texas, 28-14, in the Cotton Bowl. After watching Ohio State safety Caleb Downs play, Klatt compared the Ohio State star to former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

Polamalu was the 16th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Klatt enjoyed how free Downs plays at the safety position and is not afraid to get involved in stopping the run, similar to Polamalu, who played for the Steelers from 2003-14.

"This guy plays downhill through the alley," Klatt said. "The alley meaning kind of like inside out, filling from that safety position as well as anybody. I've talked about the fact he reminds me a lot of Troy Polamalu."

Downs had five total tackles and one interception off Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers that ended the game.

Downs started his college career with Alabama in 2023. He was the No. 5 overall player and top safety in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2023 class.

As a true freshman, he led the SEC with 70 solo tackles. Downs had 107 total tackles, four TFLs, two interceptions and one forced fumble.

Following Nick Saban's retirement after the Rose Bowl loss to Michigan, Downs entered the transfer portal. He was the top player in the portal and transferred to Ohio State.

Downs had an immediate impact with the Buckeyes, accounting for 77 total tackles, eight TFLs and two interceptions. He was also a Consensus All-American in 2024.

Downs and Ohio State next play No. 7 Notre Dame for the national title on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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