re: Official Portal Thread

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Just curious if anybody’s hearing any scuttle about Downs having second thoughts? Taking it with a grain of salt but I’ll take a grain of salt right now

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Downs reposted Lawson’s video on his Insta story.

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Caleb didn't come to this decision lightly," his father Gary Downs told 247Sports. He also attended a team meeting ran by new head coach Kalen DeBoer.

"There are so many factors," Gary Downs said. "Unfortunately, some of the things he went to 'Bama for are gone. The whole coaching staff is gone. Obviously, Nick Saban and his X-and-O wisdom and scheme, and playing for the G.O.A.T., and running his defense — he was the stabilizing force.

Charles (Kelly) left (for Colorado and is now at Auburn). Pete Golding left (for Ole Miss). Saban retired. T-Rob (Travaris Robinson left Alabama for Georgia). Guys like Sam Petitto, he spent a lot of time with. Freddie Roach and Robert Gillespie are still there. But every coach he built a relationship with and taught him the defense, they all left. "It's essentially a new football program."

The elder Downs said that his son would like to have his decision on where to transfer wrapped up in the next 48 hours. Now that he's officially in the portal, college coaches are able to contact him and come visit him as well. "Obviously, we're not starting from square one of recruiting," Gary said. Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State were the other finalists when Downs went through his process as a high schooler. "We know so many of these coaches already," Gary Downs said.

"We've been a lot of places. There are certain parameters of things he's looking for." During the fall, Downs lined up at several spots in the Alabama secondary and also returned punts. He looks forward to doing much of the same at his next destination. He wants to make a decision, get enrolled in classes and start working with the staff and new teammates. "Our time is so short and we don't have time to look at a lot of unknowns," Gary Downs said.

"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."

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