Report: Caleb Downs uncertain about future with Alabama amid staff turnover

Alabama appears to be in danger of losing one of its top players to the transfer portal. Star safety Caleb Downs is reportedly still deciding whether or not to enter the transfer portal after Nick Saban retired as the head coach at Alabama last week.

“I was told that Alabama freshman Caleb Downs hasn’t made a decision on his future yet, if he’ll stay or transfer,” ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren posted on Twitter. “He’d like to see who’s added to the Bama defensive staff, but very likely could make a decision either way tomorrow. Travaris Robinson staying at Georgia factors in.”

Robinson helped Alabama land Downs. He would be the position coach for Downs at Georgia if Downs ends up transferring to the Bulldogs.

If Caleb Downs does end up transferring it would be a huge blow to the Crimson Tide. The Georgia native was ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall player in the country in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

He started as a true freshman this past season at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide with 107 tackles — 40 more than any other player on the team. He also had a pair of interceptions, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.

Downs earned All-American honors thanks to his play in 2023 and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.

Caleb Downs, Malachi Moore were ‘most difficult’ players for Nick Saban to share retirement with

Nick Saban shared last week that telling Caleb Downs and Malachi Moore he was retiring was incredibly difficult to do.

“I love all the players, but there’re some players — I mean you’re human — that you have special relationships with. And I spend more time with the defensive guys and I spend more time with the defensive backs, so when a lot of the players came up, Malachi Moore and Caleb Downs, Malachi’s one of the captains on the team. Caleb is a young guy that has all the right stuff and does everything exactly like you’d want him. Is a tremendous competitor, both guys. Those two guys were probably the most difficult,” Saban said in an interview with Rece Davis on ESPN.

He shared what his parting message was to the pair, remarking that he won’t be going terribly far away even if he won’t be their coach.

“I encouraged them to continue to do the things that they’ve always done to be successful. And one of the things I encouraged the team to do was, you guys all need to play for each other. They’ll hire a really good coach here, you’ll have good coaches. You’ll learn more things from more, different people that can enhance your development and you guys gotta in that and believe in that and play for each other and I’m going to be here,” Saban said. “I’m going to be here for you, I’m going to have a presence. I’m going to stay in Tuscaloosa. They’re giving me an office in the stadium. And I said, ‘I can get on your butt from there just like I can from on the field.’”