After much thought and deliberation, Alabama Safety Caleb Downs has started the process to enter the portal according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
If true and he stays with it, this will be a massive hit for new head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama defense. He wouldn’t be the first player to enter the portal since Nick Saban retired, but he immediately becomes the best one to do so.
Coming out of high school, he chose Bama over Georgia, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Ohio State. Those schools likely are the instant favorites to try to recruit the former All-American. That doesn’t mean other teams may enter the fray. Teams like LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas could enter the fray. With three years of eligibility left, Caleb Downs will get some heavy recruitment from teams all over the nation. It could even come down to an NIL bidding war.
According to 24/7 Sports John Talty, Georgia is the favorite to land the young safety. Kirby Smart spoke highly of Downs this last season and recently brought in former Alabama cornerback coach Travaris Robinson to be the safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator.
Downs was hands down one of the best defenders for the Crimson Tide in 2023. He finished the season with 107 tackles — 40 more than any of his teammates — and had 3.5 tackles for loss. That large amount of tackles was good enough to see him finish fourth in the SEC. He added two interceptions, four passes defensed and also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. After an incredible season, he was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman Football Player of the Year.
The Georgia native projects to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Downs is the younger brother of Josh Downs, who broke the Indianapolis Colts record for most receptions by a rookie in franchise history this past season. His father Gary also played in the NFL for the Broncos, Giants and Falcons.
Downs joins former Alabama receiver Isaiah Bond as the top players to enter the transfer portal since the retirement of Nick Saban.
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