LOS ANGELES — Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson has been taking notes on Alabama safety Caleb Downs. The first thing that stands out is the freshman’s tendency to blow up ball carriers with big hits.
“He’s very physical,” Wilson said. “In my notebook, that’s the main thing I talk about. He’s willing to come down and boom some shit.”
Wilson smiled while giving the statement, but he knows facing the Alabama player won’t be much of a laughing matter during Monday’s Rose Bowl. Earlier this week, Downs earned the Shaun Alexander Award presented to the nation’s top freshman. The honor comes as the five-star defender leads Alabama with 99 tackles, including 3.5 stops for a loss, to go with two interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
There isn’t a stat for bone-crunching hits, but if there was, Wilson said Downs would have quite a few in his tally. That’ll be something new for the 6-foot, 192-pound receiver, who said he hasn’t really been “boomed” by a defender yet this season.
As for his plan against Downs next week, Wilson said he’s looking to fight fire with fire.
“You just give it all you got,” Wilson said. “You get that adrenaline right before the play and you just go run up on him. That’s all you got to do. You got to be willing to go do something against a guy like that who's going to bring his shit and have that mindset, too.”
Getting past Downs will require more than just toughness. The 6-foot, 203-pound defender is also skillful in coverage, drawing an 87.8 grade from Pro Football Focus — the highest among Alabama defensive backs.
That’s drawn the eye of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who said he’s been aware of Downs’ talent since going up against his older brother Josh in 7-on-7 camps growing up.
“Watching film, he is always a guy that stands out on tape,” McCarthy said. “He's fast. He's physical. He's extremely smart for being a true freshman. Playing at Alabama and starting right away, he was one of those guys that I've heard from just in the grapevine he was ready to go from the get-go. He's a tremendous athlete, and it's an honor to share the field with him.”
Michigan tight end Colston Loveland also commented on how rare it was to see a freshman with Downs’ savvy, crediting the Alabama defender for his early success. That’s something Downs’ Crimson Tide teammates admit they take for granted at times.
“I have to remind myself that he is a freshman,” Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore said.
Moore said Downs hasn’t looked like a freshman since the beginning of spring camp. Even then, the young defender was well beyond his years.
“We got in about the same day,” said Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who was hired by the Crimson Tide in February. “I didn’t know he was a freshman.”
Downs came to Alabama as the top-rated safety and No. 9 overall player in the 2023 class. His ability to catch on fast with the Crimson Tide comes as less of a surprise when you consider his upbringing.
Downs’ father Gary running back at North Carolina State before spending seven years in the NFL with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons. His older brother Josh was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of this year’s NFL draft after he starred as a wide receiver at North Carolina. Downs is also the nephew of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Dre Bly, who currently serves as a cornerbacks coach for the Detroit Lions.
“I feel like he's always been a pro,” Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstrey said of Caleb. “He's always handled himself like a pro. He always takes advantage of all of his opportunities, and he's always there to listen and learn. I feel like he's a great team player.”
Downs might have stopped looking like a freshman on the field long ago. However, his teammates say there are still times when they catch him having a freshman moment from time to time off of it.
“I walked back on the plane, and Caleb’s got his feet propped up, chilling, kicked back,” Moore said with a grin. “I had a little digital camera with me, and he was like, ‘Take my picture, take my picture.’ This is a fun experience for him, being in college for the first time and experiencing the College Football Playoff.”
Downs and No. 4 Alabama will face No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Monday in Pasadena, California. Don’t expect him to look — or hit — like a freshman then either.
