Some of the best freshmen players to come through Alabama were those who embraced the pressure of high expectations.
Caleb Downs, a five-star defensive back, appears to be the next one in line. Nick Saban has been impressed with the native Georgian, raving about his maturity and how he’s added a lot of big-play abilities to the secondary. Downs was incredible at Mill Creek High School, but more awaits him in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The 6-foot, 203-pounder is looking forward to putting on an A-Day show for fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but a former Crimson Tide standout names him for looking the part in spring practice.
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Christion Jones, a former two-time BCS National Champion, compared Downs to a former Tide All-American.
“Watch out for Caleb Downs,” Jones said Wednesday on The Developmental Focus Points via The Bama Standard.
“He reminds me a lot of Landon Collins. He’s got Landon Collins vibes in terms of playmaking abilities and versatility. He is very versatile. He is built and moves around like how Landon was his freshman year.”
Collins, a New Orleans native, came to Alabama as a five-star and the No. 1 safety in the 2012 class. He helped the Tide to a BCS National Championship as a freshman, but Collins became a Unanimous All-American and first-team All-SEC selection in 2014.
Collins had a team-high 102 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, and a team-tying three interceptions in 2014. He went on to become a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
We will see what Downs becomes, but Jones feels he the next great defensive back.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
