Caden Davis, an Ohio State walk-on and TikTok founder, was removed from the football team ahead of the title game.
Caden Davis, an Ohio State walk-on defensive lineman known more for his TikTok content than anything he’s done on the field, was dismissed from the Buckeyes football team, a program representative told The Lantern on Wednesday.
Davis’ resignation, announced by Ohio State sports information director Jerry Emig, comes only five days before the Buckeyes face Notre Dame in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“Being a Buckeye has been a childhood dream of mine. “I am extremely grateful to the coaches, staff, and players for welcoming me to the team,” Davis wrote on Instagram. “I simply cannot thank them enough for allowing me to pursue my goal for the past two years and teaching me in the way they have. With changes in the NCAA and personal employment considerations, I will not be a PWO at OSU. I appreciate everyone’s support and assistance in respecting my privacy over the decision I made. “Thank you, Go Bucks.”
According to The Lantern, Davis’ total Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter followers grew to over 300,000 while broadcasting largely behind-the-scenes videos from Ohio State athletic facilities, campus life, and media events. Davis also shared TikTok recordings of some of the team-sponsored merchandise he got as an Ohio State student-athlete.
Davis, a second-year walk-on, never played a snap at Ohio State, and Emig could not explain why he was dismissed.
Urban Meyer describes Ohio State fans as ‘total, pure nut-jobs’ because of their enthusiasm.
Urban Meyer, a Fox Sports analyst, has coached at some of college football’s top programs, including Ohio State, Florida, and as an assistant at Notre Dame. Meyer believes Buckeyes fans have a devotion unlike any other institution in the country.
On The Triple Option podcast, he recently discussed the most fanatical fan bases in each conference and stated that none compare to Ohio State Buckeyes fans.
“I moved North, so I went to Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame. I concentrated on the South, visiting Florida, Miami, and Florida State. I went SEC – Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia; I know I’m going to miss a few. Texas, A&M, and Oklahoma are from the middle of the country. Then there’s USC, followed by Oregon and Washington, also newbies.
“The one thing you have to ask yourself is, there’s really one place, and I’m biased because I’m from the great state of Ohio, where football is born in your blood.”
According to Urban Meyer, in some Ohio cities, you become an Ohio State supporter very immediately after birth.
“You realize when you are born in Columbus, Ohio, you get a ‘Beat the Team Up North’ shirt. “The baby has a ‘Beat the Team Up North,'” Meyer explained. “In Canton, Ohio, you’re born, in Massillon, they put a football, if you’re a boy, in your crib when you’re born.”
