Jeff Caldwell

Early life

Caldwell is from Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Butler Traditional High School where he initially only intended on playing soccer. He followed after his brother, Frank, and played football, but received little attention as a college recruit. Caldwell had a growth spurt and went from 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) as a junior to 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) as a senior but still had little attention from colleges. He was an unranked recruit and signed to play college football for the FCS-level Lindenwood Lions, the only team to give him an offer.

College career

In his freshman year at Lindenwood, 2022, Caldwell caught eight passes for 141 yards and four touchdowns. He then recorded 32 catches for 599 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, being named first-team All-OVC–Big South Football Association. He had his best season at Lindenwood as a junior in 2024, catching 53 passes for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns while being named first-team all-conference, second-team All-American and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player at the FCS level.

Caldwell transferred to the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2025. He was named to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic's "Freaks List", highlighting the most athletic college football players. Caldwell was recorded as being able to run over 22 miles per hour while posting a broad jump of 11 feet 9 inches (3.58 m). He caught 32 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns for Cincinnati. After the season, Caldwell was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he led all wide receivers in the broad jump.