FRISCO — Cowboys first-round defensive back Caleb Downs sat next to Nick Saban at Alabama so much that they started calling him “Little Nick.”
Saban had Downs’ undivided attention, and Downs had Saban’s respect. They spent only one season together, but it was enough for Saban to call Downs one of his favorite players he’s ever coached.
With that respect came honesty. So, when Downs entered the transfer portal in 2024 after Saban’s retirement, Saban was honest with his young protege. Downs’ father, Gary, recalled Saban telling Downs he could transfer to Georgia and play in a similar system to what he ran at Alabama, or he could transfer to Ohio State, where an entirely new system and an entirely new position would be waiting. Downs wanted a new challenge.
“When he got to Ohio State I asked him, ‘How long is it going to take to learn coach [Jim] Knowles’ system?’” Gary recalled on Thursday. “He said, ‘Probably a week or week and a half.’ And sure enough, within a week to a week and a half, he had it.”
You’ll never guess what Downs, the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, said to Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker after they hugged inside The Star in Frisco on Friday morning.
“Where’s the playbook at?” Downs said. “When can I get it?”
That mindset has helped Downs excel for his entire football career. He started on varsity as a freshman at Mill Creek High School and had five interceptions — a rarity inside a high school football hotbed like Gwinnett County, Ga. He later became a consensus five-star recruit, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and the No.1 safety recruit in the country. It continued in college where he became a three-time All-American in three seasons. He was considered by many to be one of the best prospects in the entire draft.