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Less than one week before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the national college football champion, the Buckeyes have dismissed a player.
Caden Davis was a walk-on defensive lineman who has hundreds of thousands of followers across both TikTok and Instagram and was known for posting about his life on the team, whether that be showing off the gear they received for the new season or what the inside of a locker room looked like. According to an Instagram post Davis made on Wednesday (January 15), he is no longer on the team.
“Being a buckeye has always been a dream come true of mine since being a kid,” his caption read alongside a photo of him wearing his football jersey. “I am so very appreciative to the coaches, staff, and players for welcoming me into the team. I truly cannot thank them enough for allowing me to live my dream for the last 2 years and mentoring me the way they have.”
The post continued, explaining that he would no longer be a walk-on due to both changes in the NCAA and “personal career reasons.”
“I appreciate the support of everyone and your help to respect my privacy about the decision made. Thank you, Go Bucks” the caption concluded.
The Lantern was the first to report the news of Davis’s dismissal, citing the school’s Sports Information Director Jerry Emig. Emig did not confirm the exact reason behind Davis’s removal from the roster.
Part of the new NCAA changes that appear to be starting in the 2025-2026 season include the possibility of fully eliminating walk-ons. Walk-ons are people on a sports team who have tried out and made the team without being recruited or offered a scholarship to play.
Football teams will now be reduced to 105 players, compared to the average 128 players, that are all entitled to a scholarship, virtually erasing all walk-on spots.
People first began questioning whether or not Davis was still on the team after he posted a video claiming to be of Ohio State’s trip to AT&T Stadium for the Cotton Bowl against Texas.
However, he appeared to be using clips from the 2023 Cotton Bowl and not the 2024 one. An offensive lineman on the team, George Fitzpatrick, even commented on the video, “You don’t play here.”
After winning the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State will play against Notre Dame in the CFP (College Football Playoff) in Atlanta, Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, January 20.
This is the first time that two teams from the Midwest have ever played against each other for the championship.
If the Fighting Irish win, this will be its first time bringing home the championship title since 1988, while the Buckeyes would bring home their first national championship title since 2014.
A win for OSU would also bring the first time the Big Ten Conference has claimed back-to-back titles since Michigan State did so in 1965 and 1966.
The game will be available to watch on ESPN starting at 7 pm ET.
