"That came in as a huge shock to me": Caleb Downs breaks silence on Ohio State transfer decision after Alabama coach's retirement

Caleb Downs began his collegiate career with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2023. However, after Nick Saban announced his retirement, the sophomore safety joined the Ohio State Buckeyes for the 2024 season.

So far, Downs has had an excellent debut campaign under Ryan Day and has been influential on the field, tallying a total of 77 tackles, 0.5 sacks and two interceptions.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are scheduled to take on Notre Dame in this season's national championship game. On Saturday, both teams spoke with the media ahead of the showdown on Jan. 20. During the interview, Caleb Downs spoke about his decision to leave Alabama after Nick Saban's retirement.

The safety said that Saban's retirement news shocked him as it was the main reason why he had committed to the Crimson Tide. He added that he wanted to stay back in Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately, things did not go the way he planned.

"That came as a huge shock to me," Downs said. "I didn't see it coming at all. Even when he said it, I was still like, 'Did this really just happen?' That was one of the main reasons I went there to Alabama and it was really difficult time for me. I didn't know right away I was gonna hit the portal.

"They gave me the opportunity to stay. I stayed for actually six days, five days just to feel out the new coaching staff, see who they were going to hire and see if I could stay. At that point, I really didn't want to leave and I wanted to stick to the choice I made in high school to stay there. And it didn't turn out that way."

The Crimson Tide brought in Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban's replacement. Unfortunately, he finished his debut campaign with a 9-4 record and failed to compete for the SEC title and a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

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Ryan Day heaps praise on Caleb Downs

Ryan Day is satisfied with the way Caleb Downs has performed this season. He praised his skills on the gridiron and talked about how the safety is an integral part of the team and an excellent leader.

Day also talked about the way Downs flourished and settled down with the culture at Ohio State. The retirement of Coach Saban allowed him to reconnect with Downs and build a relationship with the team.

"Caleb is matured beyond his years" Day said. "He's a tremendous player. But he brings a work ethic that's tremendous ... During the recruiting process, I went all the way down to the wire. It's been told before, and we were right there at the end, and I wished him good luck.

"Then, when Coach (Saban) retired and he was in the portal, it was an opportunity to reconnect with him. And I think he had great relationships with our players, and it's been great to see him this year really flourish within our culture. And you see the best version of him now."

The Ohio State vs Notre Dame natty championship will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch all the action of the game live on ESPN.