Alabama Football: Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor make SEC Freshman Team

Two Alabama Football players picked up some accolades on Thursday as Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor were named to the Freshman All-SEC Team. This season has been a rollercoaster for Proctor as he started week one, lost some snaps to Elijah Pritchett, and has now solidified himself as a solid offensive lineman. Left Tackle is one of the most important positions in football and has a massive learning curve, it’s impressive how much Kadyn Proctor has grown through his first season of college football.

Caleb Downs on the other hand has had an incredible freshman year playing safety for one of the best defenses in the country. On top of making the All-Freshman SEC Team Downs was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year and the SEC Newcomer of the Year via the Associated Press.

Starting as a true freshman is an incredible feat, especially on a team as talented as this year’s Alabama Football team. Proctor and Downs have earned their roles and have been solid players in year one providing for excitement as they enter their sophomore seasons for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama Football: Future True Freshman Starters?

This offseason the Alabama Football program will lose a massive amount of talent to the NFL and potentially the transfer portal. One of the positions that we may see a true freshman fill in 2024 is cornerback as Kool-Aid Mckinstry and Terrion Arnold will most likely be first-round picks in the spring. Coming in this year’s recruiting class is five-star cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe and four-star cornerback Zabien Brown. Both Brown and Mbakwe will have a chance to earn a starting role at cornerback in the spring with the departures of Mckinstry and Arnold with no clear next man up. We’ve seen defensive backs catch on fast under Nick Saban with Caleb Downs, Kool-Aid Mckinstry, and Malachi Moore providing great examples.

Note: Teams via SEC.com