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The Dallas Cowboys and their fans love Caleb Downs, and quarterback Dak Prescott is no different.
“How professional he is, how calm he is; calm, but confident,” Prescott said of what sets him apart from Downs, who the Cowboys selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “It’s contagious. You can feel it. He’s a man sure of who he is.
“When you’re in this business like that, you know you can speak, express yourself. You can say things that you believe and age doesn’t really matter, because you know you’re doing the right thing.”
Downs, a consensus five-star recruit, spent his 2023 freshman campaign with the Alabama Crimson Tide, totaling an SEC-high 70 solo tackles. After the retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Downs transferred to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024 and was part of a Buckeyes team that won the College Football Playoff national championship.
Then, last year (2025), he was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Downs, a two-time All-American, recorded two interceptions in each of his three seasons on the collegiate stage.
“He’s a guy that’s a leader just by the way he carries himself and the way he approaches it,” Prescott said of Downs. “I know he leads the rookie class, but he understands how the locker room works and what it means to earn the veterans’ trust and get their respect. He’s a humble kid who comes in there every day, quiet and squeaky.”
Downs was one of two first-round selections by the Cowboys, who moved up one spot to secure Downs at the No. 11 pick and traded up three spots and ultimately took UCF Knights defensive end Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick.
As for Prescott, the four-time Pro Bowler enters his 11th season under center for the Cowboys, who have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Last year, Prescott totaled 4,552 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a passer rating of 99.5, while completing 67.3 percent of his passes.
