Ohio State looked dominant throughout the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
After knocking off the top-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes defeated the Texas Longhorns in the semifinals to advance to Monday’s championship game. But one member of the Buckeyes, who rose to prominence largely through his social media presence, won’t make the trip to Atlanta for the national title game.
Caden Davis, a former backup, has been dismissed from the team, Ohio State sports information director Jerry Emig confirmed to The Lantern.
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Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Caden Davis signs an autograph for a fan after the Ohio State spring game on April 13, 2024. (Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The sophomore defensive end never recorded a tackle during his brief stint as an Ohio State student-athlete. Davis has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on popular social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
University officials did not immediately provide details about what led to Davis’ firing.
(David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/File)
At times, Davis’ online content offered subscribers behind-the-scenes content about the Ohio State football team and athletic facilities. He would also document his student life on campus in Columbus, Ohio.
On Wednesday, at least one of Davis’ social media bios read “Ohio State football #61,” while other accounts referenced the football program.
An Ohio State football helmet (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images/File)
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Davis suggested he was traveling to the Dallas area with the Buckeyes for the semifinal against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. It was later determined that the photos Davis shared were from last season’s Cotton Bowl game. Missouri beat Ohio State in this game.
Ohio State last hoisted the national championship trophy in 2014, which was the first College Football Playoff championship.
Notre Dame punched its ticket to the national title game by defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals before eliminating Penn State in the semifinals. The championship game will begin at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
