Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
NEW: One Alabama player makes 2023 Freshman All-American Team
Reading time: 3 minutes
Each year, the Football Writers Association of America names a standout group of players in college football—all true freshman and redshirt freshman. The 2023 Freshman All-American Team includes one Alabama player, Caleb Downs. Keep reading for the details.
UPDATE: On January 17, Caleb Downs reportedly entered the transfer portal.
About Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs, a safety for the Crimson Tide, is one of three safeties to make the team, according to Sports Illustrated.
Hailing from Hoschton, Georgia, Downs joined the Alabama football team after a successful high school career at Mill Creek. Here are some fast (and impressive) facts about Downs, according to Alabama Football’s website:
- First Alabama freshman to lead his team in tackles in program history dating back to at least 1970
- 107 stops (almost the most by a Tide freshman in the last 50+ years)
- Recipient of the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award
- Selected as SEC Freshman of the Year
- Ranked four in the SEC in total tackles
No wonder he made the team.
FUN FACT: Downs also played basketball and baseball in high school.
FUN FACT #2: Athletic talent runs in the family, apparently. Josh, Downs’ brother, is a wide receiver at North Carolina. Gary, his father, was a running back for multiple NFL teams and his uncle, Dre Bly, was a Super Bowl champion.
More news from Alabama football
If you haven’t heard, the Crimson Tide football program has had an exciting, unexpected and crazy month and a half. Let’s catch up:
- On December 2, 2023, Alabama defeated Georgia in the SEC Championship, earning a spot in the College Football Playoffs (spoiler alert: this was Saban’s very last win with the Tide).
- Ahead of the Rose Bowl, ticket prices climbed to staggering heights. On New Year’s Day 2024, Michigan beat Alabama in a nail-biting overtime, and the intensity of the game drew impressive viewership. In fact, it was in the top 10 cable telecasts of all time.
- A little over a week after the Rose Bowl, head coach Nick Saban shockingly announced his retirement on January 10. Locals reacted with varying emotions, and the hunt began for the next head coach who would follow Saban’s incredible career at Alabama.
- Just 49 hours after Saban’s announcement, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer was selected as the Tide’s next head coach.
If you’re looking forward to the 2024 season—a new era for Alabama football—as much as we are, check out Alabama’s full schedule here.
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