Buckeyes Are Finalists for Nine National Awards
11/25/2025 2:44:00 PM | Football
Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald, Arvell Reese, Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith among 2025’s best
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A handful of players off the nation's No. 1 ranked Ohio State football team have been named finalists for nine different major national awards. The finalists for most of these awards were announced today by the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) in partnership with ESPN.
SAF Caleb Downs, DT Kayden McDonald, LB Arvell Reese, QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith are the Buckeyes named as finalists for national awards … with a few more award finalists to be named. Downs leads the way with four finalist honors, including two prior finalist announcements, and is followed by two apiece for Sayin and Smith and one for McDonald.
Winners for the NCFAA awards will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards show, live on ESPN on Fri., Dec. 12.
Ohio State's 2025 National Award Finalists
Bednarik Award – Caleb Downs
Biletnikoff Award – Jeremiah Smith
Bronko Nagurski Trophy – Caleb Downs
Butkus Award – Arvell Reese
Davey O'Brien Award – Julian Sayin
Lott Impact Trophy – Caleb Downs
Maxwell Award – Julian Sayin
Outland Trophy – Kayden McDonald
Thorpe Award – Caleb Downs
Finalist Honors by Player
- Caleb Downs – Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award
- Kayden McDonald – Outland Trophy
- Arvell Reese – Butkus Award
- Julian Sayin – Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award
- Jeremiah Smith – Biletnikoff Award
Football Facts …
#2 SAF Caleb Downs
§ Finalist for four major awards: Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Thorpe Award
§ The leader of a defense that is No. 1 nationally in scoring, total defense, passing defense and is No. 2 in rushing defense
§ Third on team with 49 tackles and second with 32 solo stops
§ Five TFLs, one sack and team-high two interceptions
§ Candidate for Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
§ Reigning Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and 2024 unanimous All-American
#98 DT Kayden McDonald
§ Finalist for the Outland Trophy
§ Fifth among Buckeyes with 47 tackles
§ Third on team with 8.0 TFLs plus has three QB sacks
§ Also has two QB hurries and two forced fumbles
§ At his best in the biggest games: eight tackles vs. Texas and Penn State; seven tackles, including 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks, vs. Washington
#8 LB Arvell Reese
§ Finalist for the Butkus Award
§ Second among Buckeyes with 59 tackles and fourth with 30 solo stops
§ Second on team and 10th in Big Ten with 10.0 tackles for losses totaling 45 yards
§ Second on team and 7th in Big Ten with 6.5 quarterback sacks
§ Candidate for Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
#10 QB Julian Sayin
§ Finalist for the Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award
§ Has emerged as one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy
§ Has thrown for 2,832 yards and 27 TDs with only four interceptions
§ No. 1 nationally with a 79.4 completion pct.
§ No. 1 nationally with a 185.38 QB rating
§ No. 4 nationally with 27 TDs and No. 4 with 9.4 yards per attempt
§ Has won nine weekly awards and is staring down the NCAA all-time completion pct. record
§ Candidate for Big Ten's Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Griese-Breese Quarterback of the Year and Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year
§ Only second QB in the last 30 years with three games of at least 300 yards passing, three touchdowns, no interceptions and an 80.0 completion percentage
#4 WR Jeremiah Smith
§ Finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and a Heisman Trophy candidate
§ 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns despite missing one game
§ No. 6 nationally with 10 TDs
§ No. 8 nationally with 6.9 receptions per game and with 90.2 yards per game
§ No. 11 with 69 receptions and No. 13 with 902 receiving yards
§ Fastest Buckeye to 100 career receptions, to 1,500 and 2,000 yards and to 25 receiving TDs
§ Candidate for Big Ten's Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and reigning Richter-Howard Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year
