5-star safety Caleb Downs wearing Alabama gloves for playoff game
Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek five-star safety Caleb Downs is playing in one of the biggest games of his life Friday against Milton (Ga.) in the Georgia Class 7A state quarterfinals.
And he will be doing it rocking some crimson on his gloves.
On3’s Jeremy Johnson is at the game and snagged a video of Downs wearing Alabama gloves for the contest.
Earlier this week, Downs was named Region 8-AAAAAAA Defensive Player of the Year. Heading into Friday’s game, the safety had 74 tackles, five interceptions and 11 passes defended.
Johnson was at one of Downs’ games earlier this season and came away throughly impressed with the elite talent.
“The preparation behind Downs’ success was evident a few times on big hits. He diagnoses and closes extremely well. He brings thump when he comes up in run support,” Johnson said. “Downs plays with a nasty that is rare in a safety. He is constantly communicating and will let the opposing team know that he’s a bad dude…After he intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter to close the win, Down stood in the middle of the field and took a bow.”
Caleb Downs is the 2023 cycle’s No. 1 safety, according to On3
Caleb Downs is the No. 15 overall player in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
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The On3 Consensus has Downs as the second-best safety in the nation behind Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson’s Tony Mitchell.
When On3 released its most recent update of the 2023 On300 last month, Downs was awarded his fifth star along with fellow elite recruits Tampa Berkeley Prep EDGE Keon Keeley, Washington (D.C.) and Archbishop Carroll Nyckoles Harbor.
“The 5-foot-11.5, 185-pound Downs is a tough, instinctive safety that displays high-end playmaking ability. He’s not only a ball hawk in coverage but will close quickly and strike in the run game. He possesses very good eyes and awareness,” On3 National Analyst Gerry Hamilton said.