Ohio State walk-on, social media creator has been off football roster for several weeks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Social media star and walk-on Ohio State football player Caden Davis is no longer a member of the team, Davis announced ahead of the national championship game.

Davis, a sophomore at Ohio State, amassed more than 275,000 followers on TikTok, in part for his behind-the-scenes looks into his life as a defensive end on the Buckeyes. His TikTok bio still reads "DE @OSU" as of publication, and although he only recently announced the change, records show he has not been a part of the team for several weeks.

Davis joined the team as a preferred walk-on. Although he never played a snap for the Buckeyes, he neared 400,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram for his videos. On Jan. 15, Davis published a photo of himself in his Ohio State jersey announcing his departure from the team.

"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 two years and mentoring me the way they have," Davis wrote. "With changes in the NCAA and personal career reasons, I will not be a [walk-on] at the OSU. I appreciate the support of everyone and your help to respect my privacy about the decision made."

Davis' most recent Ohio State football posts were videos about the Cotton Bowl, including coverage of the Cotton Bowl trophy and custom sculptures. However, a spokesperson for Ohio State athletics said Davis has been off the team for some time. He said he could not comment further due to privacy protection laws.

Davis posted several behind-the-scenes videos about the Rose Bowl, which was played on Jan. 1. However, a program from the Rose Bowl did not list Davis on the roster for Ohio State.

According to reporting by The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, a now-deleted post by Davis implied he was on the Buckeyes' trip to the Cotton Bowl but allegedly used footage from last year's appearance. The article claims offensive lineman George Fitzpatrick commented "You don't play here."

It is unclear why Davis is no longer a part of the team. Ohio State representatives said further comments would violate privacy law, and Davis did not respond to requests for comment.

Although Davis will not be on the sideline, Ohio State will take on Notre Dame at the College Football Playoff national championship Monday night, kicking off at 7:45 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.