When Nick Saban stepped into a team meeting in January 2024 and announced his retirement as Alabama’s head football coach, the room fell silent. For Caleb Downs, it was a gut-wrenching moment. The star safety, fresh off an extraordinary freshman season, had come to Alabama to build a legacy under the legendary coach. Now, that vision shattered before his eyes.
That was a complete shock,” Downs admitted Saturday while speaking to reporters in Atlanta. “I never saw it coming. Even as he said the words, I was thinking, ‘Is this real? Did this really just happen?’ He was one of the biggest reasons I committed to Alabama. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me.”
For Downs, a Buford, Georgia native, who had already earned second-team All-SEC honors and was named the league’s newcomer of the year, the uncertainty hit hard. He stayed in Tuscaloosa for nearly a week, trying to adapt to the new leadership under Kalen DeBoer, but something was missing.
Downs ultimately entered the transfer portal, drawing interest from several powerhouse programs, including Georgia, but he chose Ohio State. It was a tough decision, a journey marked by heartbreak, but one that has brought him full circle. Now, as the cornerstone of the Buckeyes’ defense, he has the chance to chase a national title—ironically, in his home state of Georgia.
“It’s bittersweet,” Downs said. “I’ve been blessed with this opportunity at Ohio State, but a part of me still thinks about what could’ve been at Alabama.”
And while Downs suits up to face Notre Dame for the championship Monday night, his former coach, Nick Saban, will be in the broadcast booth, far removed from the sidelines that defined his career.
“I’ve talked to him, and he loves it,” Downs said of Saban’s new role with ESPN. “He’s said, ‘I’m having so much fun doing this,’ and honestly, I can tell he means it. It’s just strange to think of him anywhere but leading us on the field.”
For fans, Monday’s national championship game will be a celebration of football, but for Caleb Downs, it’s also a reminder of what was lost—and what still lies ahead. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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