Alabama football helmet Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

During his true freshman season with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Caleb Downs emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the entire country and is widely considered one of the top returning defensive players in the nation. But after the departure of legendary head coach Nick Saban, it sounds like he’ll be playing elsewhere next season.

According to a report from college football insider Pete Thamel of The Athletic, Caleb Downs is planning to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

“Source: Alabama freshman All-American safety Caleb Downs is starting the process of entering the NCAA transfer portal. He was one of the country’s top freshman in 2023 and looms as a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft,” Thamel said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.

Once Downs does decide to enter the transfer portal, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes are widely expected to be the most likely transfer destinations for the star safety after both schools were among his finalists when he ultimately chose to sign with the Alabama Crimson Tide out of high school.

Downs will undoubtedly be one of the top transfer players in the portal this offseason. We’ll have to see where he lands.

[Pete Thamel]