Caleb Downs, a defensive back for Alabama, reveals his destination on the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Considerable transformations have occurred within the long-standing college football dynasty since Alabama athletic director Nick Saban retired.
The program has initiated the process of staff configuration under the leadership of head coach Kalen DeBoer. However, the transfer portal has arguably had the most significant influence.
Defensive back Caleb Downs, who has reportedly committed to Ohio State, was arguably the most prominent candidate to enter his name into the portal.
Many speculated that Georgia might have been the landing site in light of that information, but that was not the case.
The true freshman sensation became the most sought-after name on the market almost immediately, and for good reason.
However, Georgia, Texas, and Ohio State appeared to be the three schools that managed to get their marquee players into the mix.
The Bulldogs hired Alabama defensive coordinator Travaris Williams to serve as co-defensive coordinator with Glenn Schumann prior to Downs entering the portal.
Downs accumulated 107 tackles in his first season with the Crimson Tide, including 3.5 tackles for loss or two interceptions.
In addition to receiving the Shaun Alexander Freshman Student of the Year award, numerous publications ranked him as an All-American.
Last season, Downs topped the Crimson Tide in total tackles with 107, forty more than Deontae Lawson, who finished in second place.
Downs was an offensive menace with 3.5 tackles over loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He was named first-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year.
At this time, the former five-star recruit is en route to Columbus, where Ohio State has recruited an unusually large number of returning stars, including Kansas State quarterback William Howard as well as Ole Miss defensive back Quinshon Judkins.
Although Downs has three years remaining on his eligibility, he is already a significant NFL Draft candidate.
After early enrolling at Alabama, five-star freshman Julian Sayin is reportedly prepared to enter the transfer portal.
Sayin was the only five-star recruit and the No. 2 pro-style passer in Alabama’s No. 3 recruiting class of 2024.
Former Washington player Austin Mack announced his transfer to Alabama on Thursday, preceding ESPN’s report. Sayin, a California native, chose Alabama over Georgia, Notre Dame, and other schools.
According to Rivals, Tommy Rees, who is now the offensive coordinator at Alabama, was his primary recruiter for Notre Dame.
After Nick Saban’s retirement, the former Notre Dame quarterback, who had been recruited from South Bend to lead Alabama’s offense in the 2023 season, found himself without a staff position.
At this time, Mack is the clear quarterback for the future due to Sayin’s departure. With an additional year of eligibility remaining, Jalen Milroe has declared his intention to return for the 2024 campaign.
“Recruitment-wise, it is evident that we are not starting from scratch,” Gary Downs, the father of Caleb, told 247Sports.
“So many of the aforementioned coaches are already familiar to us.” We’ve visited numerous locations. Certain parameters define the nature of the things he seeks.”
Even though the deadline for portal access has passed, Alabama players were granted a 30-day window to transfer upon the retirement of coach Nick Saban.
A loss to Downs would be catastrophic for both the program and its new coach, Kalen DeBoer.
Downs lived up to the acclaim he received during his high school career. He earned 107 tackles and two passes defended for the season, earning him a spot on the FWAA Freshman All-American or second-team All-SEC teams.
His Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 88.9 ranked first in the conference among all safeties. Additionally, he made program history as the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles.
Travaris Robinson was recently hired by Georgia from Alabama as co-defensive coordinator and safety coach.
Before this, Robinson coached the Crimson Tide’s cornerbacks for the past two seasons. Robinson is an esteemed SEC guiding veteran, and UGA is an obvious landing spot given his association with Downs.