Alabama’s defensive secondary could be the most exciting part of this team, especially if all the pieces fall into place.
Caleb Downs, a five-star from Georgia, has Crimson Tide fans wanting him to start.
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He arrived in the spring as a versatile defensive back, but Downs will more than likely be a safety for Alabama. The 6-foot, 203-pounder excelled in football, basketball, and baseball at Mill Creek High School. Downs was a human highlight reel on Friday nights in football, but Nick Saban praised his maturity and what he adds to the Crimson Tide’s secondary. He collected eight tackles — including five solo stops — a tackle for loss, and an interception in the spring game. According to Reel Analytics, a sports tech and data company analyzing video to measure athleticism so coaches can evaluate talent more accurately, it has Downs as its top breakout safety for the coming season. Downs has an IGA (in-game athleticism) score of 93.4 from the Atlanta-based brand.
📈Top 10 CFB Breakout SAFs
Our list of potential breakout players have high-end athletic ability, as reflected by their In-Game Athleticism (IGA) Score. This score is derived from position-specific athleticism metrics, extracted from game footage using our tracking technology. pic.twitter.com/P0c7J1XPlA
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) June 28, 2023
It will be hard to keep Downs off the field because of how instinctive he is.
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He has the coverage ability to play free safety, the body structure to play strong safety, or he could play in the dime linebacker role. It will be interesting to see where Coach Saban lines him up, but Downs has big-play potential written on him.
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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.
