Caleb Downs, the No. 1 safety in the class of 2023 officially announced his commitment to Alabama on Wednesday.
Downs received offers from over 30 programs, including Ohio State, Georgia and Notre Dame.
“It is hard to explain, but it was a strong gut feeling that told me it was Alabama,” Downs said, via On3. “In my mind, the same team just kept showing up, and it was Alabama. That is when I knew.”
Downs shared his announcement through a video with The Players’ Tribune.
The high school senior joins five-star recruit Tony Mitchell as a safety commit for Alabama’s 2023 recruiting class. The Crimson Tide have 15 commits thus far, according to On3, and three of those are five-star recruits. Their recruitment class ranks No. 6 nationally so far.
Downs noted that the program really stood out to him after his fifth visit back on June 17. At the time, Downs was heavily considering Ohio State. But, Alabama still won out.
“Their message to me from the beginning was how they are different from every other program,” Downs said. “Others try to copy what they do, but nobody will be able to have the discipline and consistency that coach Saban brings to Alabama. It is an every day thing and an every year thing under coach Saban. They believe if the players can learn that, then they can be great and succeed at a high level.”
The Hoschton, Ga. native will enter his senior year at Mill Creek High School in 2022. As he looks towards his future at Alabama, Downs has big dreams for his football career.
“I want to be a Thorpe Award winner, I want to be a national champion, and I want to be a first-round draft pick,” Downs said. “Those are goals for me when I get to Alabama. It is win or go home there. It is about being elite. Alabama does whatever it takes to be successful. It is about being on top of the mountain at Alabama, and that’s why I am going there.”
