He previously played for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year.

[2] He was ranked as one of the top players in the 2023 college football recruiting class and considered the nation's No.

[8] He chose Alabama over Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

[15] Downs' father, Gary, played college football for NC State and is now an assistant coach.

His uncle, Dré Bly, played for the North Carolina Tar Heels and 11 years in the NFL.