Evaluating validity of rumors started after Kadyn Proctor decision
The rumor mill started to run wild in Tuscaloosa following the news Tuesday that offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor would return to Alabama. Proctor, who transferred to Iowa this offseason, reversed course and opted to transfer again back to the Crimson Tide before even playing a snap for the Hawkeyes.
Many began to speculate whether other Alabama players who transferred, particularly safety Caleb Downs, could also return. Downs is currently with the Ohio State Buckeyes and participating in spring practice.
Tim Watts of Bama Online joined On3‘s Andy Staples to address the validity of those rumors, essentially saying there’s nothing factual to base it on at this point.
“Proctor, I don’t expect him to be a normal decision, but I don’t think there’s anything locked in,” Watts said. “A big rumor last night was Caleb Downs was going to Alabama. There was nothing really to it other than Proctor was expected to come back to Alabama. It’s so bad the (Ohio State) collective had to come out this morning and say Caleb’s locked in. There was no substance behind Caleb (coming back) because he was at practice at Ohio State.
“At this point you’re just following the tea leaves and the clues. But again, the collective saying he’s locked in, anything is on the table right now. Where things sit now, Kadyn Proctor is expected to go in the portal. That’s a fact. He said it. And Caleb Downs is at Ohio State practice. Twitter was on fire with the ‘if what I’m being told is true, it’s gonna be big news.’ It was flying through. Proctor set off a domino effect and everything. Even now this morning, it’s still surprising we’re discussing this right now.”
Getting Downs back would certainly be huge for Alabama after he led the team in tackles this past season and won the SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year. However, fans should simply be happy they got Kadyn Proctor back rather than believing rumors that say it means the start of a trend.
Similarly, it doesn’t mean that any other number of Crimson Tide players who entered the portal are coming back any time soon. Watts expressed that he’s even had friends ask him about other players who might come back, but there’s nothing to report at this point.
“If you’re gonna tag Proctor to Caleb Downs, do you not tag Amari Niblack, Isaiah Bond, Dezz Ricks, everybody else?” he said. “They all can’t come back. There’s so many guys that went. Seth McLaughlin, I had a friend who I know he was kidding, but he said, ‘what if they sent Seth to Ohio State to learn how to snap and he’s coming back to Bama?’ He said it tongue-in-cheek but there is zero doubt he was asking me if I thought it was possible. He’s a lawyer. It’s not some crazy guy.”