Ohio State football should go after this Alabama player now that Nick Saban has left

The Ohio State football team has done a pretty good job with the transfer portal since the Cotton Bowl. They have picked up a couple of players who should impact the team right away. Now they have the chance to grab another immediate impact player from Alabama.

With Nick Saban announcing his retirement, Bama players now have 30 days to enter the transfer portal if they so choose. That means the Buckeyes have a shot to go after some really good players if they decide they want to leave now that Saban is gone.

One of the players that the Buckeyes should definitely go after is safety Caleb Downs. Downs was the number-one safety in the country in the 2023 class and was a five-star recruit. He chose Alabama at the last moment over the Ohio State football program, so the Buckeyes have a relationship with him already.

Downs made an impact right away as a true freshman for the Tide, recording 107 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes knocked down, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He was one of the best players on Alabama's defense as a freshman. Imagine what he could do with the Buckeyes!

If the Buckeyes could add Downs, their secondary would be even more loaded than they already are. They already have Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock, and Lathan Ransom returning next year. They still have Sonny Styles for possibly two years. Downs could slip into the position Josh Proctor vacates.

I expect that there will be some back-channel communication between the Buckeyes and Downs very soon. There has been no indication as of yet that Downs wants to play elsewhere. That doesn't mean someone won't reach out to gauge his interest. Every team does that in the transfer portal, even with kids who aren't in the portal yet.

We'll keep you updated if anything happens with Downs.