Kirby Smart feels Caleb Downs does not ‘look like a freshman’

Caleb Downs has been one of the best freshmen in college football this season, and Kirby Smart has taken notice.

The Georgia head football coach is quite familiar with Downs. He and the Bulldogs’ coaching staff recruited him at a high level when he was at Mill Creek High School in Georgia. 

The former five-star has been a standout for Alabana throughout this season. He has started every game and led the Tide in tackles in the regular season. 

Smart feels Downs is exactly what he thought he was going to be when he recruited him. 

“He doesn’t look like a freshman at all,” Smart said. “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. I’ve seen him play about 100 7-on-7 games at our stadium and at our facility when his high school team came over all the time, and he’s everything that we thought he was. He’s just a football player that is instinctive, great tackler, just what you draw up when you want a defensive back.”

Downs will look to make an impact in the SEC Championship Game Saturday in his return to his home state.