Alabama safety Caleb Downs was one of the best players in college football in 2023. It looks like that football might be played outside of Tuscaloosa in 2024.

According to a source close to this, Downs plans to enter his name into the transfer portal in the near future. As of now, there aren’t any teams with a clear-cut advantage to land Downs out of the portal. He plans to take the next few weeks to explore his many options before choosing his next destination.

Downs will transfer with three years of eligibility remaining. He’s expected to formally enter the portal on Wednesday.

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Alabama football potentially losing star freshman safety to Georgia

There has been a whole lot of change with Alabama football in the last week, with Nick Saban’s retirement sending shockwaves throughout the college football world. Kalen DeBoer is the new Crimson Tide head coach, and now he’ll be dealing with the roster fallout of Saban’s departure. Wednesday morning brought the news that Alabama is expected to lose star freshman safety Caleb Downs to the transfer portal, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and other reports.

This is a tough blow, and it’s made even more difficult by the fact that it looks like Downs might end up at Georgia. John Talty of 247Sports reports the Bulldogs are the “clear favorite” to land the safety once he actually enters the portal. The Freshman All-American hasn’t gone in yet, but he intends to do so soon.

Caleb Downs was a superstar five-star recruit coming into college, ranking as the No. 1 safety and the No. 6 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite list. Downs picked Alabama football over fellow powerhouses such as Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame and others.

The safety didn’t disappoint in his freshman campaign, racking up 107 total tackles (70 solo), three passes defended, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Downs also returned one punt for a touchdown.

Downs earned Freshman All-American honors for his big season, which ended with Alabama’s heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl

Given Georgia football was after Caleb Downs the first time around, it’s no surprise to see Kirby Smart hot on the trail again and looking to take advantage of this situation. The Bulldogs were a dominant team again this past season before losing in the SEC Championship Game to the Crimson Tide, costing them a shot at the College Football Playoff and a third straight national title. Snagging Downs away from Alabama would be a nice consolation prize.