Kirby Smart praises star safety Caleb Downs: ‘He doesn’t look like a freshman’

Kirby Smart praised star Alabama safety Caleb Downs Thursday ahead of Georgia and Alabama’s biggest game of the year.

The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will face off for the SEC Title on Saturday, with the winner likely reaching the CFP and the loser likely heading to NY6 bowl, barring chaos.

Downs, a freshman, has starred in Alabama’s secondary this season. He’s sitting at 95 total tackles on the season with 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble.

Smart told reporters Thursday that Downs certainly does not play like a freshman, labeling him instinctive and fearless for the Tide’s defense.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on Caleb Downs: “He don’t look like a freshman at all. He looks like a guy that’s been playing for three years. He’s instinctive. He’s fast. He’s fearless. He’s everything that he was in high school.”

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) November 30, 2023

Alabama won Downs, a Georgia native, over the Bulldogs and several other top programs (think Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, LSU) in the country. Downs was a consensus 5-star prospect and 247Sports considered him to be the No. 1 player out of Georgia in the Class of 2023, as well as the No. 6 player in the country.

We’re all ready for Saturday. The SEC Title game will be aired on CBS at 4 p.m. ET from Atlanta.

Ethan Stone

Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.