What does Ohio State’s announcement of former Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs’ transfer imply for the Bulldogs?
This season, Georgia has been quite active on the transfer site, landing several big-time players on both sides of the ball. However, the greatest name of them all has declared his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs. What does it mean for Georgia now that former Alabama defensive back Caleb Downs has formally announced his move to Ohio State?
To begin with, the announcements made by Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith that they would be joining the NFL this offseason hurt Georgia’s safety room. On the roster, Georgia is still in a strong position. Malaki Starks, a two-year starter who many believe will eventually be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, is back with the team.
In addition, they still include names like Dan Jackson, JaCorey Thomas, and David Daniel-Sisavanh. Most recently, they added former Alabama safety Jake Pope from the portal. At safety, the Bulldogs added another high-profile addition to their recruiting class in 2024 when five-star KJ Bolden decided to sign early with Georgia.
If Downs had selected Georgia, he would have undoubtedly improved the team’s roster and given other players more time to mature before being named starters, but the Bulldogs are not worse off as a result of Downs’ choice. Whether or not Downs committed to Georgia, they were going to have a new face in the starting lineup at safety in 2024. Although Downs was the clear favourite to start, a player who was already on Georgia’s roster will now provide an answer to that question.
Downs totaled 107 tackles as a true freshman for the Crimson Tide, including 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. In addition, he won the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year honour and was named an All-American by numerous publications.
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