{"id":3212,"date":"2023-04-21T00:41:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T05:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/?p=3212"},"modified":"2023-04-21T00:41:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T05:41:06","slug":"nick-saban-says-caleb-downs-has-added-a-lot-to-alabamas-secondary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/nick-saban-says-caleb-downs-has-added-a-lot-to-alabamas-secondary\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Saban says Caleb Downs has \u201cadded a lot\u201d to Alabama\u2019s secondary"},"content":{"rendered":"

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.<\/strong> \u2014 Alabama<\/a> has seen its fair share of freshmen defensive backs make a first-year impact since coach Nick Saban arrived back in 2007. Minkah Fitzpatrick<\/a>, Patrick Surtain II<\/a>, Malachi Moore<\/a> and, most recently, Kool-Aid McKinstry<\/a> all started \u2014 or at least contributed like a starter \u2014 early in their college careers.<\/p>\n

Five-Star Plus freshman Caleb Downs<\/a> could be the next in line.<\/p>\n

The former Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek standout has generated quite a buzz since getting on campus back in December. Really, the hype started long before his arrival, but the talk of being a potential first-year starter in 2023 really started to ramp up during Sugar Bowl practices. That belief has only strengthened as we\u2019ve gotten further into spring practice.<\/p>\n

Following Alabama\u2019s final practice ahead of the annual Golden Flake A-Day Game this Saturday, Saban was asked to share his thoughts on Downs. Needless to say, he\u2019s been more than a little impressed with the performance he\u2019s seen from the 6-foot, 203-pound defensive back.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe\u2019s done great,\u201d Saban said of Downs. \u201cHe\u2019s got lots of maturity for a young guy, smart, understands football. Really conscientious about making sure he knows what to do and going out on the field and doing it. So he\u2019s had a really good spring and really has added a lot to the secondary with the way he\u2019s played. He\u2019s a good player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Downs is a potential transformative piece for Alabama\u2019s secondary.<\/p>\n

His size and well-rounded skill set makes him a versatile defender who can line up in multiple spots, including safety and Star. From everything that we\u2019ve heard, Downs has been spending time at safety alongside Moore and Kristian Story<\/a>. Moore brings the playing experience, and Story has been in the program for three seasons.<\/p>\n

Downs is different though.<\/p>\n

Not only is he physical in run support when rolling down to attack the line of scrimmage, but he\u2019s also an elite cover guy who can be effective in both man and zone. There aren\u2019t many safeties out there who possess his blend of strength and athleticism, which is why he\u2019s drawn comparisons to former Tennessee star Eric Berry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maybe more importantly than his supreme physical traits, Downs also gets it between the ears. He\u2019s a tough, instinctive safety with a motor that\u2019s on full display through being extremely active. Like I said, there just aren\u2019t a lot of guys out there like him. Saban \u2014 from his comments \u2014 clearly understands the rariety of Downs, too.<\/p>\n

Pretty much from the first practice of spring, the freshman has been seeing action with the first-team defense. As I said earlier, we\u2019ve seen other guys serve important roles and even start as first-year defensive backs, but I don\u2019t know that we\u2019ve ever seen a player come in and take hold of significant role this early.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure Alabama fans are looking forward to seeing him in action this Saturday.<\/p>\n

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Have you subscribed to BamaInsider.com? You can sign up now for $10, which gets you premium access for four months! Or, you can also get monthly access for just $9.99 per month. Get access to premium articles covering the University of Alabama athletics, recruiting content and also join thousands of Crimson Tide fans on the Talk of Champions message board!\u00a0CLICK HERE!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The post Nick Saban says Caleb Downs has \u201cadded a lot\u201d to Alabama\u2019s secondary<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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