Caleb Downs, a former Alabama star safety, has attended Ohio State.

Caleb Downs, a former Alabama star safety, has attended Ohio State.

Caleb Downs, a former freshman safety for Alabama, is transferring with Ohio State, a different source told ESPN on Friday night.

During his recruitment, Downs did consider Ohio State; nevertheless, the Buckeyes were regarded as having finished second place to Alabama at that time.

With 107 total tackles, Downs led the Crimson Tide this season and became the first true freshman in program history to accomplish this feat.

He was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 safety from Hoschton, Georgia, and was ranked eleventh overall in his 2023 class.

On January 17, Downs entered the transfer portal, and numerous individuals anticipated that he would ultimately attend Georgia.

Travaris Robinson, his former defensive backs coach, departed for the Georgia staff. Despite Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s best efforts to reassign Robinson to the Crimson Tide staff, Robinson remained with the Dawgs.

After an in-home meeting with Downs as well as his family and another chance to recruit him, Ohio State’s coaches have decided that he will transfer to Ohio State.

With three years remaining on his eligibility, he will contribute immediately to a Buckeyes defense that underwent a tremendous improvement in Year 2 under leader Jim Knowles.

Reportedly, Alabama football has abandoned any remaining hopes of retaining star safety Caleb Downs. The star freshman is headed to Ohio State for the 2019-20 academic year, according to an anonymous source cited by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday.

During the high school recruiting process, Downs considered the Ohio State Buckeyes before deciding to attend Alabama to play football to Nick Saban, who announced that he was retiring on January 10.

Alabama was led in tackles by the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year with 107, which ranked fourth-most in the SEC.

This marked the first season since at least 1970 in which a freshman led the Crimson Tide in tackles. Downs made it to the Sporting News and Associated Press second-team All-America teams.

The departure of Downs is among the most consequential since Alabama’s substitution of Saban with Kalen DeBoer of Washington.

The winter transfer window was closed on January 2 but reopened with Saban’s departure for 30 days.

Friday marked Ohio State’s enormous gain, as star safety Caleb Downs pledged to the Buckeyes, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.

This was Alabama’s post-Nick Saban loss. Last season, Downs topped the Crimson Tide for overall tackles with 107, forty more than Deontae Lawson, who finished in second place.

Downs was an offensive menace with 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a pair of interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He was named first-team All-SEC and SEC Rookie 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 Will Howard as well as Ole Miss running back Quinton 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 seems to be prepared to enter the transfer portal.

Sayin was a single five-star recruit and the state’s number 2 pro-style QB in Alabama’s No. 3 recruiting class of 2024.

Alabama was selected by California native Sayin 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.

Following the retirement of Nick Saban, the former Notre Dame quarterback, who had been recruited from South Bend in preparation for the 2023 season to lead Alabama’s offense, was left without a staff position.

In 14 games as a freshman for the Crimson Tide, Downs was a catalyst for action with 107 total tackles (70 solo), 3.5 pressures for loss, two interceptions, four pass divorces, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

Throughout the season, the 6-foot, 203-pound return specialist recovered four punts, one of which was for an 85-yard touchdown toward Chattanooga.

His performance earned him a first-team All-SEC selection and the Freshman Award for the Year award from the conference.

Many Alabama players, including Downs, entered the transfer portal earlier this month in the wake of legendary coach Nick Saban’s retirement.

Former Washington player Austin Mack announced his transfer to Alabama on Thursday, preceding ESPN’s report.

Downs joins an Ohio State squad that, among others, is returning several star players from its 11-2 campaign from the previous season. Cornerback Denzel Burke and wideout Emeka Egbuka are among those returning.