Alabama safety commit Caleb Downs visiting Ohio State for The Game
COLUMBUS — Ohio State will host its biggest recruiting weekend of the season.
And it just got much, much bigger with the addition of five-star Hoschton (Ga) Mill Creek safety Caleb Downs.
The Alabama commit is visiting Ohio State this weekend for The Game, multiple sources have confirmed to Lettermen Row.
Downs is the No. 11 rated overall prospect and the No. 1 safety in the 2023 class according to On3. This is the first game Downs has seen at Ohio State according to the On3 Visit Center.
Downs has visited Ohio State three times before. He camped at Ohio State in June 2021 and then visited the Buckeyes during their spring practices. Downs used his fifth official visit to the Buckeyes on June 24, one week after his official to Alabama.
His recruitment peaked in the summer when it was a three-way battle between Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia. All three schools were finalists for his pledge along with Notre Dame and North Carolina. Downs committed to Alabama on July 27 in what was a major blow for the Buckeyes, who suffered a tough summer on the trail.
But the staff inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center never stopped its communication with Downs. Both sides remained in contact throughout the summer and deep into the fall. The potential cracks in Downs’ commitment to the Crimson Tide surfaced when he visited Georgia a few backs for the Tennessee game.
ICYMI: Ohio State remains in contact with five-star safety Caleb Downs as signing period nears
While it was a three-program battle for Downs’ pledge, the Buckeyes and the Crimson Tide certainly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Now with Downs visiting for The Game instead of the Iron Bowl, things could get very interesting for the Alabama commit as the early signing period is just 25 days away.
Follow Lettermen Row for more coverage of Caleb Downs’ visit, recruiting notes from The Game and more.
