The full-court press is on.
According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3, Ohio State will conduct an in-home visit on Thursday with Alabama transfer safety Caleb Downs.
Ohio State is traveling down to Georgia on Thursday to make an in-home visit with Alabama transfer defensive back Caleb Downs, sources tell @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) January 18, 2024
The No. 1 player in the transfer portal. Bulldogs are the other factor in his recruitment.
Read: https://t.co/hK0qeO9nRF pic.twitter.com/QSU1UiOt1a
Downs entered the transfer portal on Wednesday after seven-time national champion head coach Nick Saban retired. Ohio State and Georgia – who recently signed Downs' former secondary coach at Alabama, Travaris Robinson, as its co-defensive coordinator – are considered the two favorites to land the 2023 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year.
This is Ohio State’s second pursuit of Downs, as the Buckeyes finished runner-up to Alabama in the high school recruitment of the five-star defensive back in 2023. Downs signed with the Crimson Tide as the No. 6 overall prospect and No. 1 safety in the class. An immediate starter in the backend of Saban's defense, Downs performed at an All-SEC level for Alabama, collecting a team-best 107 tackles, three pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He also returned a punt for a touchdown.
While safety is not a position of dire need for Ohio State, a player with Downs’ talent – he's ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the transfer portal, according to Tom VanHaaren of ESPN – would, of course, be welcome in Columbus.
Downs' free safety spot is currently an open competition for the Buckeyes following the graduation of Josh Proctor. Malik Hartford and Ja’Had Carter are both candidates to fill in at the position. Lathan Ransom could also slide over from strong safety.
According to a report from Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, Downs hopes to make a quick decision so he can enroll in classes and start working with his new team.
“Our time is so short and we don’t have time to look at a lot of unknowns,” Downs' father, Gary, told Wiltfong. “It has to be previous relationships with people. We want to try and find a place with stability, the same coach and same coordinators, knowing you have to be prepared for change. … He just turned 19. This is a lot for him to process right now. You don’t go into this situation thinking about transferring.”
Proctor Officially Enters the Transfer Portal
Another potential Ohio State target, former Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor, has officially entered the transfer portal, according to Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247Sports.
Alabama five-star freshman offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor has now officially entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @247sports.https://t.co/6Cw7NKmknb pic.twitter.com/rH0QIzqISx
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 18, 2024
Proctor started in all 14 of Alabama's games as a true freshman in 2023. The 6-foot-7, 360-pound prospect recorded a 66.3 Pro Football Focus grade for the season, including a 67.2 mark as a run blocker and a 58.8 mark as a pass blocker.
Soon after Proctor announced he would enter the transfer portal, predictions came in for Proctor to transfer to Iowa, located two hours away from his hometown of Des Moines. The Hawkeyes will be a strong contender to land Proctor. However, a source told Eleven Warriors that Ohio State will also make a push for the No. 1 overall tackle in the 2023 class.
