ATHENS, Ga. — As Alabama continues to get hit hard by current players entering the transfer portal in the wake of Nick Saban's retirement, they received more bad news this week.
According to 11Alive's Maria Martin, former five-star recruit and Alabama safety Caleb Downs entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. On Friday, he announced his commitment to Ohio State University, despite chatter he could possibly come to UGA.
Downs, who is from Hoschston, Georgia, and played his high school ball at Mill Creek in Gwinnett County, was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal in 2024.
It was apparent the next fight for Downs would be a familiar one between Ohio State and Georgia, who each finished second and third, respectively, in their attempts to get Downs out of high school before he ultimately committed to play for Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Downs was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, per Rivals. Coming out of high school in 2023, he was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the state and No. 9 overall in the nation.
What was thought to be a big attraction for Downs possibly choosing to come back to his home state was the addition of now ex-Alabama assistant coach Travaris Robinson, who was named UGA's co-defensive coordinator alongside Will Muschamp, who was the full-time DC for the Dawgs the past several seasons.
As a freshman, Downs led Alabama's defense in tackles with 107, becoming the first freshman to do so dating back to 1970.
He ranked fourth overall in the SEC in tackles, of which 3.5 of them were for loss. He had two interceptions and four pass break-ups.
Downs was a first-team all-SEC member and won SEC Newcomer of the Year and would no doubt be a massive boost for the UGA defense, which is losing several starters from this past year, including safety Javon Bullard and cornerback Kamari Lassiter.